True Love's Kiss Can Break Any Curse
by Once Upon a Femmeslash
Summary: AU: the True Love of Swan Queen broke the curse. Trigger Warning: self harm.
1. Chapter 1

So there's this really really really awesome photoset on tumblr that's really really really awesome. And it inspired this fic. So go drool over it. I think it was originally posted by 3lzyx[dot]tumblr[dot]com so you should be able to find it there.

I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters.

Nor did I make those awesome gifs.

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><p>Regina's mind felt fuzzy. She could sense ambient light through her eyelids, feel the soft covers on her bare skin as she realized she was naked. She'd never felt so… comfortable. Her hair splayed across the pillow, her legs entangled in the sheets, she felt utterly content. Her face split into a wide grin, her eyes still closed, as she sleepily stretched, rolling over and entangling herself further.<p>

Then the insecurities, the crushing sadness came rushing back as she felt the other side of the bed. There was a dent in the pillow where someone had rested their head. But the sheets were cold.

_I don't know why I felt happy for a moment. I don't get to be happy. No matter which world, something has doomed me to an accursed half-life of debilitating loneliness. I don't deserve happiness. I don't deserve love. Not the love of a parent, not the love of a spouse, not even the love of a child. Even if I somehow miraculously get one glimmer of affection I manage to screw it up so, so badly. Even the people I try to help only end up getting hurt because I ruin everything I touch. I really am evil. I don't deserve happiness. I'm just some bitter, screwed-up witch who hurts everyone I care about so no one cares about me. I have nothing, _nothing_, but my fucking plants. _

She didn't know who had been there last night. It didn't matter, really. Even if she hadn't ripped his heart out yet she was probably going to. Maybe she should just end it. Another fire at the courthouse, one Emma wouldn't be there to save her from this time. A crash on that stretch of road on the way out of town, wouldn't be the first one. A chance encounter with a wolf in the woods. Or maybe something as simple as falling out of the top branches of the apple tree. Emma could have Henry. They could have each other. He liked her better anyway.

She groaned and began to sit up. She didn't know why she entertained these thoughts every morning; she would never act upon them. That was her curse, she supposed. To be stuck in this loveless life. She almost smirked as a thought struck her. _I wonder what the citizens of Storybrooke would think if they knew their fearless leader wanted to die. If they knew her nightly ritual of digging into her skin until the pain eclipsed the emptiness inside, or until she got so lightheaded she passed out. Unless she'd found a warm body to try to fill the void. I wonder what they would think if they could see the scars. I wonder what they would think if they knew that some mornings Madame Mayor was disappointed when she woke up still alive. _

_I don't blame them for hating me, I really don't. I hate me too. _

She rolled over, pulled herself up, and sleepily, slowly, finally opened her eyes.

"Good mornin'"

Her heart skipped a beat.

There she was.

The mom Henry wanted.

The strongest, the bravest, the fairest of them all.

The embodiment of good.

The Hope.

Emma.

Hardly clothed.

The bleariness in her eyes faded away quickly. Her brow furrowed. She squinted, trying to make it make sense. It didn't make sense. But there she stood, Sherriff Swan, in nothing but a tank top and boyshorts. Leaning against the doorway. Biting her lip as she sheet succumbed to gravity.

The apparition stepped forward. It had to be an apparition. _She_ had to be an apparition. _I'm the Evil Queen, god dammit! I don't get a happy ending!_

She stopped at the foot of the bed. Regina simply stared, dumbfounded. Her brain was incapable of conscious thought as it tried to process whatever the fuck was going on.

Then she noticed it. That little smirk. The same little smirk that had graced the lips of the woman before her right before she leaned in for that life-changing kiss. That same smirk she'd seen right before being shoved back onto the bed and climbed on top of. That same smirk on those same lips that had been all over her-

Oh god.

Oh Emma.

It all came back to her in one frightening blow that pushed her back down onto the bed. It knocked her flat on her back, that night. That life-changing, mind-altering night. That curse-breaking night.

She could do nothing but gape at the ceiling.

She would swear she could still feel the afterglow.

"Hey, you okay? I made pancakes."


	2. Chapter 2

So I think the way I'm going to have this story set up the next several chapters will be leading up to the events of the first chapter, then I'll hopefully have some chapters that deal with what happens after the events of the first chapter. If anyone's still confused about the timeline, message me and I'll try to make it clearer.

Warning: Writing stuff like this helps me fight the urge to self-harm but I realize reading it might have the opposite effect. So this is a HUGE trigger warning.

I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters.

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><p>Regina gingerly lowered herself into the bathtub and sank down to rest her head against the porcelain lip. She bit her lip as she fought her body's instinct to leap out of the scalding hot water. She smiled grimly, staring blankly at the ceiling, as the pain coursed her entire body. She could almost feel her skin turning rapidly pink. She wriggled a bit, relishing the searing heat. Her heel touched the metal ring on the plug and her foot jerked back of its own accord. She would likely have a tiny burn there tomorrow. One more for her long list of scars.<p>

She fought the urge to make a noise as the pain made its crescendo; Henry was sleeping, after all. Her every pore was on fire. Her body screamed silently as the heat, the pain, almost became too much. Her hands clutched the sides of the tub, her knuckles white, as her entire body tensed in agony.

She went limp. She let her eyes slide shut for a moment. The pain ebbed. The same water now felt only lukewarm to her now insensitive skin. She pulled the plug.

Regina Mills lay there with a serene look on her face, watching as the water retreated from her glistening, abused body. To anyone else it was beautiful; to her it was an accursed thing, useful only to try to ebb the pain in her mind.

Some nights this was enough; she'd pass out in the bathtub for an hour or two, then get up in the dead of night to make her way to her room. Some nights she didn't even need this, nights when she could deceive herself into thinking she was worthy, that she was loved, with mindless sex. But she hadn't had that for a while. Not since Graham-

When Emma got here things changed. Not for the better. Suddenly, her nights with Graham just didn't work anymore. It wasn't the right set of hands around her neck, on her breasts. It wasn't the right chest she clawed at. It wasn't the right body above her. It wasn't the right set of lips upon hers. It didn't feel right. The mindless sex was no longer mindless. It no longer staved off the feelings of worthlessness until he got his release and jumped out the window; even as he was on top of her she felt dirty, violated, ashamed. And as soon as he was on his way home she'd be in that scalding hot bath, trying to wash off the disgust and the sickening feeling of his greedy hands upon her skin.

The water was gone now, save for the drops of moisture glistening on her skin. She shivered as they began to evaporate, leaving her freezing, trying to cuddle into the porcelain that had retained some of the heat from the bath. She watched as goosebumps trailed up her arms to her torso, spread down her stomach, crept into the most intimate places. She lazily grazed a fingertip over the tiny texturization on her breasts. Her light touch traveled downward, catching not only the tiny bumps but much bigger ridges as her hands made their way past her belly button, rippling over speed bumps on her hips, speeding over more scars on her thighs, and coming to rest on her calves as she pulled her knees to her chest.

Sitting there naked in the fetal position in the bathtub, her hair falling in her face and tickling her knees, she wished she could cry. She wished above anything she could let tears spill down her cheeks, venting the anguish pent up inside her. It was part of her curse, she supposed, to have to keep everything bottled up inside. So she would let her skin weep for her.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, it's me. Once Upon a Femmeslash, formerly known as LadyLampshade. Different pen name, same author, same story.

I do not own anyone from Storybrooke.

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><p>"Why do you hate her?"<p>

"Hate whom, dear?"

"My mo- Emma."

Regina felt a familiar emotion welling up in her chest. One she was terribly used to, one that seemed to be one of her countless curses. Why wouldn't he love her?

"I do not hate Sherriff Swan."

"Actions speak louder than words."

_He thinks he's so profound_, she thought as she glanced over at that smug little smile on his face. She used to love that expression. Her little boy, outwitting everyone. _Since when did it get turned on me?_

"True love's kiss can break any curse, you know."

Her neck nearly snapped as she turned sharply to look at him. She stared blankly for a moment before remembering that she was driving, and though she might not mind being comatose for a while she certainly didn't want to harm Henry.

"Just saying. This whole time I thought that the Hope would have to kill the Evil Queen or something to break the curse, but maybe it could be broken with true love's kiss. So if we get everyone to kiss their true love- Snow White and Prince Charming, Rumplestitlskin and Belle… But then what about you and Emma… Well if Grant wasn't dead maybe he'd be Emma's true love, but the Evil Queen made the curse so it seems like she'd need true love's kiss too. But you don't-"

"Stop it!" Regina's voice was almost shrill. She tried to control her tone for her son, and it came out sounding almost weary. "Just… stop it."

Henry finally shut up and turned to look at his mom. Her jaw was clenched, her back was ramrod straight, and her knuckles were white as she gripped the wheel. She stared straight ahead for a moment, eyes vacant.

She seemed to visibly deflate. "We're here," she sighed.

Henry stared for a moment before grabbing his backpack, stuffing the handheld game he'd been holding inside, and hopping out of the car.

"Have a nice day!" Regina called after him as he raced toward the school.

She whispered to an empty car. "I love you."

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><p>"<em>I thought that the Hope would have to kill the Evil Queen or something to break the curse" <em>

This line kept repeating itself in her head, over and over, over and over, over and over.

"…_Hope would have to kill the Evil Queen…" "…Hope would have to kill the Evil Queen…"_

"…_Hope would have to kill the Evil Queen…"_

It kept repeating itself in her head, over and over, over and over, over and over, over and over, over and over.

"… _kill the Evil Queen…" "… kill the Evil Queen…" "… kill the Evil Queen…" "… kill the Evil Queen…" "… kill the Evil Queen…"_

It kept repeating itself, over and over, and she couldn't fucking make it stop. It crawled over her skin, making her shiver. It invaded her lungs, making her feel like she was drowning in air, struggling to breathe around those words. It seeped into her bones, and she clutched the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were as white as snow and her blood-red nails dug into her palms. Her eyes were wide, unthinking, as she sped over the deserted road in her terrifyingly powerful vehicle.

_He wants me dead. He thought breaking the curse would end in my death and he tried anyway. He's so enthusiastic about Operation Cobra, and this whole time he's been trying to kill me. Why does he hate me so much? Where the fuck did I go so fucking wrong?_

She found herself at a stop, her car still in drive but her foot planted firmly on the brake. She continued to stare forward for a moment before slowly relinquishing her grip on the steering wheel to put the car in park and turn it off, dropping the key in the pocket of her blazer. She stepped out of the car to survey her surroundings, not bothering to lock the car in the middle of the forest.

She found herself meters away from a familiar place. She hung her blazer on a tree branch, removed her heels and set them beneath the blazer, pulled off her black hose and tossed them to the side, and hiked up her pencil skirt. She brushed her hair out of her face before grabbing a vine and began to scramble up a steep incline barefoot.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry it took a while to update, but this chapter seems pretty long so hopefully it'll make up for it. Thank you for reading thus far.

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><p>"Sherriff's office."<p>

"Emma!" Mary Margaret whispered loudly into her cell phone, peeked out of the dark coat closet for a moment to confirm that the students were still silently reading, and continued. "Do you have a moment?"

"What's wrong? Is Henry okay?" Emma asked worriedly, her brow furrowing as she sat against her desk. Her eyes flitted to her red jacket on the coatrack as she considered rushing over to the elementary school.

"Don't worry, Henry's fine. It's the mayor I'm worried about."

Emma almost sighed. "What's she up to now?"

"It's not that, she's not…" Mary Margaret took a breath, trying to formulate a way of presenting it to Emma so maybe the sheriff would see the mayor as something besides the enemy. "I'm concerned about her." She could practically hear the blonde's eyebrows rising incredulously. "She's been acting oddly lately. The other day at Henry's parent-teacher conference she didn't seem as… aggressively concerned as usual. You know, asking if the other kids were purposefully excluding Henry, making sure he was being challenged academically but still able to keep up. But this time she was just… polite."

"Madame Mayor polite? That is odd." Emma said with more than a little snark.

"_Emma."_ Mary Margaret's tone was cautionary. "You know she's almost always civil. She just seemed more… deflated. And that's not the reason I called. This morning in particular was worrying. As soon as she dropped off Henry she sped off considerably over the speed limit. I asked him about it and he said he'd just been talking about Operation Cobra and she'd suddenly gotten 'weird'. Emma, even if you don't like her, you're still Sheriff. Please make sure she's okay. At the very least you can write her up for a traffic violation or something." She paused for a moment before adding for good measure. "Please. For Henry."

Ms. Blanchard slid her phone into her pocket as she exited the coat closet with a smile for her students.

Sheriff Swan slid her phone into her pocket as she grabbed her jacket.

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><p>A smile broke onto Regina's face as the impenetrable mass of vegetation broke enough for her to glimpse the clearing up ahead. Her smile transformed into a strange grin as she stumbled out of the dark line of dense forest into sunlight. Clouds sped by overhead, bathing the vibrant grass, weeds, and wildflowers in an ever-shifting light. The air was crisp and clear and wisps of breath could be seen momentarily before they faded into thin air. She felt her toes rapidly grow numb in the cold dew. She gravitated toward the very center of the circular area, toward a small apple tree.<p>

This place was her sanctuary. The only time anyone else had ever been here was when she brought Henry as an infant, only hours after he had been placed in her arms. That day she had used a seed from her cherished tree to plant one for Henry, hiding it deep in the forest to protect it until he had a place of his own to transplant it. She'd been planning his eighteenth birthday gift since Mr. Gold informed her that he'd found a child for her.

She tended to it often. She made sure it was getting plenty of water, fertilized it, kept weeds from it, and bundled it up when frost was predicted. When it began to bear fruit she would come to collect it to make apple juice for Henry's Sippy cup.

Lately he'd been refusing anything made of apple, citing something about poison.

Regina began gathering apples in her blouse. She picked up every one from around the tree and began to pluck them from the branches. Suddenly she froze when she heard rustling in the underbrush outside the clearing. She turned her head to face the noise, paused, and fired an apple at whatever was lurking in the shadows. The noise receded as it scampered away.

Something seemed to occur to Regina and with a shirt full of apples in tow she trudged about a meter away from the tree and stopped. She suddenly let go of the hem of her blouse, letting the apples bounce in every direction. She sat amongst them.

A guttural cry escaped her throat as she heaved apple after apple at the trunk, a wild satisfaction in her eyes every time one smacked wetly against it and fell to the ground in pieces.

She didn't miss.

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><p>Emma slipped once again, mentally cursing the mayor, and managed to catch herself on a branch just in time to avoid falling among the sticks and rotting leaves that carpeted this dark patch of forest. It hadn't been hard to follow the Mayor's tracks. The skid marks, the vegetation she'd mowed over in her car, the blazer, the trampled underbrush. As the forest grew thicker Emma had a harder time both with keeping her balance and with tracking Regina, but there was something that kept her headed in the right direction. A series of noises that did not seem to belong in the woods got louder as she followed the untrammeled path. She figured she was nearing a clearing as she saw a bit of light ahead.<p>

Regina heard something that made her freeze. She listened for a long moment. Something was out there, and that something wasn't a rabbit. In the near-silence of the forest she heard something that sounded very much like a swear word no deer would utter. She poised her arm, apple in hand.

She saw movement just beyond the line of trees and fired.

A thunk, a surprised exhalation, and a choice word echoed through the trees.

Regina recognized that voice. The owner of that voice was the very, very last person she wanted to see right now.

Emma cautiously stepped into the clearing, gun drawn. A little laceration on her right cheek oozed as a black eye rapidly began to form. She glanced around the sunny area, then blinked several times. Her right eye still wasn't working quite right. Plus her face was covered in apple pulp.

When what she was seeing registered she quickly holstered her gun and jogged over.

"Madame Mayor?" Emma gaped for a moment, struggling for words. "What the hell?"

The generally unshakeable mayor sat in the dewy grass in disarray. Her hair was wild, stuck out at odd angles, and fell in her face. That might've been a twig in there. Her eyes, thinly veiled with dark hair, were feral. There was an angry red line across her face where it looked like she'd been slapped by an autotroph. Her customary blazer was back with her car, exposing arms riddled with scratches. Her normally pristine clothing was rumpled, soiled, torn, and maybe even stained with flecks of blood. Her legs were covered in the same scratches as her arms, but deeper and more frequent. And Emma couldn't help but notice wounds on her thighs where her skirt rode up that had been inflicted by no plant. Her feet were caked with mud and blood, and her toes were a ghastly purple.

"Hello, Sheriff." The mayor seemed oblivious to their surroundings or her condition. "Care for an apple?'

Emma stared at her, dumbfounded, for a minute longer. She slowly knelt, gently brushing dark hair out of darker eyes.

"God, Regina." Emma's tone was quiet, almost kind. "Wrestle a rosebush or something?"

Regina seemed to think for a moment. "Yes." was the matter-of-fact answer.

Emma blinked.

She cupped a porcelain cheek in a tender hand. "You're freezing."

Regina flinched when Emma suddenly took off her jacket, but acquiesced as she was gently eased into it. She would've despised the garish pleather, but the jacket still held the sheriff's body heat, even smelled faintly of her. It was almost like being hugged.

Regina felt like a display in a museum as Emma's eyes flitted over her for a long moment. She pulled the jacket tighter around her and focused on the goosebumps forming on the bare shoulder before her, partially concealed by long curly hair. Her eyes jumped to Emma's as she began to speak.

"Listen, we need to get you back into town. Even if you didn't have dozens of scrapes that need tending to you look like you're about to lose a toe to Jack Frost."

Regina blinked.

Emma contemplated the woman staring at her uncomprehendingly. "Here," she said, standing suddenly and proffering a hand.

Regina blinked at it, then watched as her own hand met it and she felt herself pulled to her feet. She tottered a bit on the uneven ground, on feet she couldn't feel.

Emma turned away.

_Of course. I don't know what I was thinking. Yeah, she's the hero, she helps people. But I'm the villain. No one helps the villain, especially not the hero. The hero slays the villain. "I thought that the Hope would have to kill the Evil Queen or something to break the curse," he'd said. The concern- it was just a clever ploy. She probably-_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the most unexpected words she had ever heard.

"Hop on."


	5. Chapter 5

Hey, sorry it's been a while. Please enjoy, and let me know how to fix it if you don't.

I do not own.

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><p>"Hop on."<p>

She would never, ever admit it, but this was kind of nice. For once she almost felt like she could trust someone. Her eyes closed as her head drooped into Emma's hair, her chin resting on the Sheriff's shoulder. She felt herself relax minutely, her grip around Emma's neck becoming less of a stranglehold.

Emma quietly took a deep breath. She needed all the oxygen she could get to make sure she and the mayor made it back to their cars unscathed. She almost tripped over a root or something that stuck out of the ground, but managed to right herself. She tightened her grip on Regina's legs momentarily, shifting her a bit higher up on her back to make sure her legs didn't snag on a sad-looking rosebush ahead. She pushed away a thought about the soft yet toned nature of the mayor's lower thighs. The going was slow, and she could feel herself perspiring despite the chill in the air. But she kind of didn't mind the mayor on her back, her legs wrapped around her waist, her arms thrown around her neck, breathing shallowly into her right ear. With the warmth of the mayor enveloping her torso, it was almost like a hug.

Regina wanted to stay awake, she did. But it was so rhythmic, so calming, the sounds of the forest, Emma's footfalls, her breathing, the movement of her muscles. She hadn't slept in the last week or so, and she had never known a restful night in Storybrooke. She couldn't remember the last time she had a full night's sleep. She was quickly lulled into a half-sleep, riding along on Emma's back through the forest. She felt herself be shifted by the woman under her and allowed it listlessly, nuzzling her face back into a comfortable position in Emma's hair when she seemed quite finished disturbing her. A pang of guilt shot through her when her nose found a chunk of apple.

Emma nearly froze mid-step, but made herself keep moving forward. That was odd. She could've sworn… couldn't have been. This was Regina Mills we're talking about.

"God dammit!"

Regina's head flew up. "What?"

"God dammit, _Madame Mayor_!"

"What?"

"You're- choking- me."

She quickly slid off the Sheriff's back, taking a loud, quick intake of breath when her battered feet hit the underbrush.

"Don't…" Emma's tone was exasperated as she turned around. "'God dammit' means 'I stubbed my toe', not 'choke me'. And 'you're choking me' means '_you're choking me'_, not 'get off suddenly.'" She sighed, running her fingers through her already tousled hair.

"I… I'm sorry." Regina studied the forest floor.

Emma blinked.

"Well, at least your car is just right over there. We can take it at least until we get back to the cruiser, which _I_ didn't drive through a quarter-mile of _forest_."

Regina's arm over Emma's shoulder, they hobbled over to the banged-up luxury vehicle. Mayor Mills threw a nasty look at the sheriff when they peered through the driver's side window to see a neatly folded blazer sitting in the seat, along with a pair of power heels and a set of car keys.

"You did this. What are you planning?" she growled as Emma tried the door to find it locked. "I distinctly remember leaving it unlocked. What are you doing?"

"Really? I just carried you through a mile of dense forest and you blame me when you lock your keys in your car?"

"As I just said, Sheriff Swan, I left my car unlocked. I didn't think there would be a security threat in the middle of the forest. Obviously I was wrong."

"Why would I lock your keys in your car? It just means I have to carry you to the cruiser and come back for your car later."

The response came much softer than the accusations. "You don't have to do anything."

Emma's tone softened. "Even if it wasn't my job to serve and protect, any decent person would help someone they found bloody and on the verge of frostbite in the woods."

"Then I suppose I haven't met many decent people."

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><p>Madame Mayor had vehemently opposed Emma's half-joking suggestion she ride in the backseat and so silently stared out the window on the dignified side of the metal mesh. Emma stole the occasional surreptitious concerned glance at her passenger but didn't know how to break the silence.<p>

Regina was lost in her own thoughts.

Emma was full of concern and cluelessness.

It was a long, quiet ride.

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><p>"You passed the turn for my house."<p>

"We're going to my place. You can't kick me out there and you won't be able to go anywhere until I get you better."

"You mean Mary Margaret's place?"

Emma blushed.

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><p>"No. I mean it."<p>

"Really? You really shouldn't be walking on-"

"I will not have the citizens of Storybrooke seeing their mayor being carried by the sheriff. I will walk in on my own."

"You didn't have a problem with being carried in the woods."

Emma received a sharp glare. However Regina quickly found herself devoting all of her attention to balancing on her battered feet. She experienced the odd sensation of utter lack of sensation in her feet, yet she could definitely feel that they were still there because they hurt. It was like they'd fallen asleep but were never going to wake up.

Once she was standing up outside of Mary Margaret and Emma's apartment building leaning on the passengers' side of the cruiser she concentrated on placing one deadened foot in front of the other. It took enormous concentration to get to the front door, and she was slightly unnerved by Emma's concerned gaze that followed her every second.

After what seemed like an eternity they were finally in the elevator. Regina uncharacteristically slumped against the wall, only half upright, in a desperate attempt to relieve some of the discomfort in her feet. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Emma eyeing her carefully.

Suddenly she felt Emma's arm around her back and around the back of her knees as gravity seemed to spontaneously shift. Her equilibrium, or lack thereof, wouldn't have allowed her to resist Emma's grasp even if she'd had the time before she found herself in the Sheriff's arms.

"What are you doing?" she spit out with as much venom as she could muster.

"Your safety is more important than your pride. I'm carrying you. There's no one around any way. And besides, if you had really been concerned with your mayoral image you might've removed my jacket before stumbling out of the car."

Regina simply gaped for a moment and she allowed her arm to be draped over Emma's shoulders as she subconsciously settled into the surprisingly sturdy bridal carry.


	6. Chapter 6

I'm hoping that whatever feedback I get on what little more I've written will motivate me to write more. Enjoy.

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><p>Emma lay Regina down on the sofa in the tidy apartment. "I'm going to get a warm bath started." she said, retreating down a hallway.<p>

Regina simply lay there and tried to process what was going on as she heard water begin to run distantly. This was a new sensation. This being cared about, being cared for was new to Regina. Emma seemed genuine enough, but Regina couldn't help but question her motives, her sincerity. There had to be an ulterior motive. People simply weren't this kind without reason. It didn't take her long to find a possible end game: Henry. Of course. If Emma could prove how unstable she was, if Storybrooke heard how of her rocker the mayor was, getting custody of Henry would be a cake walk.

Emma re-entered the room. "The water's running in the bathtub and I also put the kettle on for instant hot chocolate. Or tea. Come on, let's get the mud off of you."

"Don't think I don't realize what you're doing." Mayor Mills' voice was venomous.

"I knew the cooperation wouldn't last long." Emma sighed. "What am I doing?"

"Don't play dumb, Sheriff Swan."

"Let me guess… something to do with Henry?"

"Of course. And wouldn't he love to see his heroine taking advantage of his mother, gathering evidence to try to prove me an unfit parent. Not exactly the high road."

"Think about it for two seconds. All I'm trying to do is help you. You hit me in the face with an apple; if I was trying to prove you an unfit parent I'd have collared you for assault instead of _carrying_ you through the woods. And besides, I may have a job but I'm still staying with Henry's teacher. I'm a bailbondsperson who gave birth to him in prison. You're the mayor, who has raised him into a great kid for the past ten years. What court would give me custody? Just let me help you."

Regina simply eyed her distrustfully.

"Oh, come on. We need to make sure none of those cuts gets infected. Your kid needs you intact," she said with dry humor. "Please come take a bath. For Henry."

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><p>Convince me to write instead of making the citizens of Storybrooke in Sims. :3<p>

Thanks for reading.


	7. Chapter 7

Just so you know, I'm on spring break this week. So either I get a ton written because I'm not in school or I get very little written because of family. I don't yet know which way it'll go.

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><p>"No. Absolutely not."<p>

"Oh come on. How do you expect to take a bath without taking off your clothes?"

"This is exactly why I didn't want to take a bath with you in the first place."

"Come _on_, _Madame Mayor_. We need to get you clean."

"_No_. How many times do I have to tell you that I am not stripping in front of you?"

"Not completely naked, we just need to get the skirt and blouse off to make sure nothing's infected. You can keep your underwear."

"How generous of you."

Emma simply rolled her eyes, a juvenile action that prompted a raised eyebrow from Regina.

"Get me a tank top."

"A what?" was Emma's first response.

"A tank top. Bring me one. Heavens knows you own at least a dozen white ones."

"Only like five." Emma muttered as she acquiesced, leaving the room momentarily.

Regina tried not to fidget as she perched on the edge of the claw-footed tub while she waited for Emma to return. She had to retain her façade of power even now, after all.

"Here, one of my _hundreds_ of white tank tops." Emma's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Thank you." Regina nodded as she accepted the garment. "Now this is how this will happen. I would prefer to tend to my injuries myself, but I know I have scrapes I could not hope to reach alone. So I will put on this shirt," her voice insinuated she used the term loosely. "and keep my skirt, and we will clean the scrapes with a _washcloth_, then apply hydrogen peroxide." Her voice took on a softer tone. "And then I'll see to that laceration on your face."

Emma was momentarily touched, but snapped out of it quickly enough. "Sounds good. Need help getting the blouse off?"

"I am a grown woman, Sheriff Swan. I am fully capable of dressing and undressing myself."

However, her actions belied her statement when she grimaced as she tried awkwardly to remove the fabric without renewed oozing from any of the gashed on her arms. Emma was silent as she gently eased the mayor out of the shirt and helped her into the tank top.

"Even if you're not taking a bath you should put your feet in the warm water. You might like to keep all ten toes."

Her attempt at humor earned her a glare she was well-accustomed to, but the mayor stood nonetheless and adjusted her skirt minutely as she prepared to step into the tub. Emma grabbed her hand to help steady her, and much to the blonde's surprise she accepted the assistance.

Regina placed one foot in the tub, then began to add the other. However, as she was shifting her weight onto the submerged foot her balance caved under the combined pressure of a slippery tub and deadened feet. Emma tried to arrest her fall but was only doused for her efforts. The broken beauty's eyes were wide with surprise and panic, her every emotion playing across her face as time slowed. She heard a resounding crack as the porcelain slammed into the porcelain skin of her cheek and her vision was rapidly invaded by blackness.

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><p>Thanks for reading.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

I know, an update within 24 hours, the world is ending. But I read your amazing reviews and got to writing and churned out this and I know that if I waited to upload it I might forget about it for a few days.

I don't have this story intricately mapped out, so there is room for suggestion. If you have something you'd like to see stick it in a review or a message and I'll see what I can do.

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><p><em>Regina placed one foot in the tub, then began to add the other. However, as she was shifting her weight onto the submerged foot her balance caved under the combined pressure of a slippery tub and deadened feet. Emma tried to arrest her fall but was only doused for her efforts. The broken beauty's eyes were wide with surprise and panic, her every emotion playing across her face as time slowed. She heard a resounding crack as the porcelain slammed into the porcelain skin of her cheek and her vision was rapidly invaded by blackness.<em>

The first things she saw when she awoke were huge blue eyes. They watched her with dogged concern as she slowly came to, but she could see them relax slightly with relief as it became apparent that she had returned to the land of the living.

She surveyed her surroundings. She noted that Emma was wet, so unless she had decided to take a bath fully clothed she hadn't been out long enough for the water to evaporate. Next she noticed the change of scenery. She was, oddly enough, on a bed. She guessed Emma's. She lay atop a layer of towels spread over the bed. By the wet spots on the towels around her legs she surmised that Emma had already cleansed them and treated them with the peroxide. She was wearing the white tank top still, but her skirt had been replaced with grey sweatpants that read "Seniors 2002" down one side. Her left arm was already cleaned and disinfected but Emma was still working on the right. As Regina lay on the left side of the bed, Emma sat cross-legged on the bed next to her in order to reach her right arm.

Regina slowly lifted her head, causing a bag of frozen peas to start to slide down. Emma quickly caught them and placed them back on the mayor's cheek.

"One- 'Seniors 2002'? You're twenty-eight and you still have your senior sweats?"

"Look who's finally awake enough to mock me. They're comfy."

"Two- Peas? It seems you of all people would be well-stocked with ice packs."

"It's cold, isn't it? Besides, if I use the peas on your face Mary Margaret can't make me eat them. I swear she thinks she's my mother sometimes."

"You're childish enough."

Emma stuck out her tongue, then became serious. "I don't think you have a concussion. The two days of medical training they give you before licensing you as a bailbondsperson aside, I've given and taken enough in my lifetime to know."

"Well that's good I guess."

"None of your scrapes so far have warranted stiches, but I did put butterfly bandages on some of them and regular Band-Aids on others." For a moment there seemed to be something else she wanted to mention, but she bit her tongue. "I just need to finish up on this arm, then your back. Then we'll see if we can get the foliage out of your hair."

She began to resume work, then added as an afterthought "And you might want to start thinking up something to tell Henry; you look like a much prettier Mike Tyson."

Regina tried to cover up her confusion with venom. "And just what do you mean by that, Sheriff?"

"I carried you through the woods, helped you change, fell into a bathtub with you, and disinfected cuts over pretty much your entire body. I think we're on a first-name-basis now. And I simply meant you're really bruised."

_And you have the throwing arm of a pro athlete _was Emma's unspoken thought.

_And you think I'm pretty _was Regina's.

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><p>Thanks for reading, and thanks so much for the mood boost and writing impetus from your lovely reviews.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

One last (short) chapter before I go on vacation. I'll probably be writing, but I don't know if/when I'll have the chance to post.

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><p>Emma placed one last band-aid on Regina's right arm. Then, just to rile up the mayor, she leaned over and placed a gentle peck on the boo-boo.<p>

Regina's heart skipped a beat, but quickly made up for it by thrumming rapidly. Emma held her gaze throughout, but Regina couldn't help but glance down at the great view she was given as the blonde leaned over in her own white tank top. She almost shivered as long curls tickled her shoulder.

"There. All better." Emma said with a smirk, brushing her hair back out of her face.

Regina's mouth had fallen open, but she quickly closed it and scrambled for a witty comeback. After a couple seconds she settled for a half-hearted glare.

"Okay, now I need to get your back." Emma was suddenly serious. "If you could sit up and lean forward... It would be a lot easier if you took your shirt off, but you don't have to if it would make you uncomfortable. And I suppose you noticed that I changed you, 'cause you were soaked. But I didn't touch your underwear. I mean, your bra and panties were really wet but I thought it would be kinda… pervy. So I can dry those for you real quick if you want me to. I have some underwear you could borrow."

"I'd rather not wear your used panties." Her voice was cutting.

"I just bought a new pack. See? Still rolled up and with the little piece of tape on."

Regina had to think quick to grab the flying underwear out of the air before it hit her.

"Sorry. I don't have great aim." Emma seemed almost sheepish.

Regina studied the projectile for a moment, then seemed to determine them satisfactory. "You have borrowed clothes of mine, so I suppose using these would only be fair."

Emma started to point out that the mayor had borrowed her jacket, two tank tops, and a pair of sweats but bit her tongue.

Regina unfurled the underwear. "You wear boyshorts?"

"Yeah, so?" Emma wasn't yet sure whether or not to be defensive.

"Not exactly the red panties you wore when I brought you apples at Granny's."

"I expected it to be Ruby, okay? Why would I think '_oh, better take the time to pull my jeans back on, just in case the mayor decides to show up at my door'_?"

"You were expecting Ruby so you answered the door sans pants?" Regina said with more than a hint of innuendo.

"Whoa, okay." Emma threw her hands up. "Can we just focus on getting clean and dry right now?"

Regina looked like she might want to press the point further, but she was itching to get out of the wet underwear.

"Turn around."

Emma obliged, leaning against the bed frame and looking pointedly in the opposite direction.

"Why are you still wet?"

"I may've fallen into a bathtub with someone."

"But why didn't you change before tending to me?"

"I don't know, it just seemed more important to make sure you were okay. Okay?"

For some strange reason Emma seemed somewhat defensive, almost demure. For some reason this gave Regina a funny little feeling in her stomach that she didn't really mind.

A pause.

"Get yourself some dry clothes when you're sticking my stuff in the dryer. You're dripping a little."

"You're wearing my only pair of sweats."

"You'll find something."


	10. Chapter 10

As promised, I did quite a bit of writing during the break. Of course none of it was for English. But I digress.

I don't think I'll be rearranging the chapters after all. It doesn't bug me enough to risk messing thing up.

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><p>Regina would've burst out laughing had she been the type to do anything boisterously. As it was, she gave Emma the most teasing look she could muster.<p>

"They're Mary Margaret's, okay? You said I'd find something. Besides, they're kinda comfy. And don't I just look adorable?"

Regina couldn't restrain herself from laughing as Emma posed in a white tank top and a pair of lime green pajama pants with Thumper and the words 'tickled pink' all over them. The sudden peals of laughter surprised both of them, and there was a somewhat tense moment where both women were shocked into silence. However the next moment the air was full of self-aware laughter from them both.

"Well you're sitting up, so that's good."

"Yes, it is impressive that I've managed not to forget what I learned as an infant, isn't it?"

Emma pulled a face that said clearly 'oh I just LOVE your use of sarcasm'.

"Okay, how about this. I'll sit behind you on the bed. I'll grab a quilt that you can cover up your front with, and we can get your back disinfected."

"No peeking."

"I promise, Ms. Modest."

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><p>As promised, Emma sat directly behind Regina. She couldn't help but admire the beauty of the mayor's back; muscles rippled when she moved, her skin was smooth and taut. Smooth aside from the numerous oozing lacerations. She set to work.<p>

Regina sat between Emma's legs, her knees pressed to her chest. She had the quilt wrapped around her as best she could while leaving her back exposed, but she still had goosebumps. As she stared at the chip in the polish on her left big toe she wondered… all sorts of things, really. How Emma could be so kind to someone as wicked as her. How she had let herself let Emma in. Why she had seen Henry again after he ran off on Emma's birthday; her beautiful boy and this caring woman obviously deserved each other. How a woman who seemed to have had a rough 28 years had such soft, gentle, nimble fingers.

Regina shivered, partially from the cold and partially for an entirely different reason.

Emma wasn't oblivious to the goosebumps. "You okay?" she asked, setting a comforting hand on an exposed shoulder.

She expected sarcasm, or a cutting remark. What she didn't expect was a simple "Yeah, thanks."

At the very least she would've expected "Yes, thank you."

A quiet moment passed as Emma gently wiped an injured area with hydrogen peroxide and applied yet another bandaid. The thought occurred to Regina that it might be a nice gesture to buy the household a new box or two. And probably a new bottle of antiseptic.

"Emma?"

The blonde almost didn't respond, so used to being called 'Sheriff Swan' by the mayor. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry for getting you wet."

"No problem."

"And I'm sorry for bleeding on two of your tank tops."

"I have plenty more, remember? It's no problem."

"And I'm sorry for seeming ungrateful after you carried me. Thank you for that."

"No problem."

"And I'm sorry for hitting you with the apple."

"Okay, that one might be a bit of a problem we'll need to talk about."

A pang of guilt and worry surged through Regina before she realized the slight humor in the tone.

By thus time Emma had cleaned the scrapes on her upper back and was making her way downwards. She only had a few left when her gaze couldn't ignore the white lines on Regina's hips. She ever so gently grazed her touch over the small ridges, giving Regina a chance to bring them up if she wanted to offer an explanation.

Pure fear overcame Regina. Panic consumed her. _Oh god oh fuck she's touching them she's definitely seen the scars I mean she must've seen the ones on my legs oh fuck oh shit shit shit shit what the fuck am I gonna do she knows what is she gonna do she's seen the scars fuck fuck fuck fuck she's fucking touching them fuck_

The overwhelming panic Regina was experiencing was unmistakable, even with her back turned to Emma. Her back had straightened significantly, her every muscle froze, her breathing became increasingly rapid. _Shit, what did I do?_ Emma for some reason had an overwhelming desire to embrace the panicked woman, to try to sooth her, but she knew it would be counterproductive. She could practically hear Regina's walls slamming back into place.

She removed both hands from the mayor to give her a moment, then placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "The last couple scrapes go a little close to the waistband." She tried to use a conversational tone. "Just giving you a heads up. Are you going to be okay with that?"

Regina took a deep breath. She could feel the panic receding, but she still felt the effects of the adrenaline rush, which threw her off balance. "Yeah. Yes."

Emma quickly finished up.

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><p>"I'm gonna go get a brush, give you a chance to get your shirt back on."<p>

"Thanks."

Regina slipped the tank top on, watching the bandages on her arms carefully, but none of them came off. She started to play with a loose thread on the quilt in her lap as she waited for Emma to return, but stopped herself. Her eyes darted around as the seconds seemed to stretch on for hours. She was suddenly nervous, realizing fully for the first time that she was in the home of the woman she both hated and feared the most.

"You decent?" The unspoken question was 'Can I come in?' Emma knew she shouldn't have to ask permission in her own room, but she wanted to make absolutely sure no boundaries were crossed with the woman currently in her bed, in her clothes. Before today she had only seen the mayor as an adversary, albeit a sexy one. She had only been a conniving bitch trying to manipulate her and keep her from seeing the kid who stole her heart. But something had changed today. She saw a whole different side of Regina Mills, a side she got a feeling few people had seen. Before she would've loved it if Madame Mayor disappeared off the face of the earth; now she was trying desperately to make sure the beauty in her bed didn't push her out.

"Yes!" Regina's response was a bit too quick, a bit too eager. She inwardly cringed as Emma gave her a sideways glance as she entered.

Emma hopped behind Regina once again. Regina quietly smiled as she glanced down at the pajamas on the legs stretched out on either side of her.

Suddenly a cup appeared in front of her. "The hot water was ready." Emma said, watching her left arm carefully to make sure she didn't spill any of the scalding liquid into the lap of the woman essentially in her lap as she used her right hand to procure several packets. "I didn't know what you'd want, so there's some hot chocolate mix, some earl grey, and some lavender tea."

"Thank you." Regina said. She decided she'd try the chocolate; lavender left a funny taste in her mouth and earl grey just didn't sound good.

"Here, you still have goosebumps." Emma said, pulling the quilt around Regina's shoulders. "Besides, I don't think you'll want leaves in your shirt."

She gently began to brush the dark hair.

Regina expected it to hurt more. She did have lots of leaves and thorns tangled up in there, after all. But really it was more soothing than anything. Emma was incredibly gentle and thorough, and it felt amazing. Something tugged at her heart and at the corner of her mouth. Sitting here, between Emma's legs, wrapped in a quilt and holding a warm cup of cocoa, feeling the blonde's gentle attentions on her scalp, she felt… warm. Secure. Almost… happy.

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><p>"There you go. Your hair is back to its shiny, flawless self." Regina could hear the smirk in Emma's voice. "How about I show you to the kitchen, get you a refill, and stick these towels in the wash? I'll check on your clothes."<p>

"Okay."

"How are your feet? Need help?"

She expected a cold rebuke. What she didn't expect was for Regina to cautiously stand up, then reply "I think I can handle it, thanks."

As the two carefully made their way to the kitchen Regina held her empty mug in one hand and grasped Emma's hand in the other. For stability.

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><p>"Thank you."<p>

Emma tossed the empty packet into the trash, smiled briefly at her temporary patient, and left for the laundry.

Regina stared deeply into her mug as she stirred the hot chocolate slowly. She smiled slightly as she watched the near-black powder slowly disappear into the whiteness of the milk Emma had heated just for her, just to make her cocoa extra creamy. As she took a sip she reveled in the faint hint of the honey Emma had added to make it "at least a little homemade". She really was sweet.

Emma reentered the room. "Your clothes are now all in the dryer. They should be ready in about forty minutes."

"Thank you."

Emma poured herself a glass of cold milk and sat down. "No problem."

There was a tense moment where Emma gazed intently at Regina, who gazed intently at her cocoa.

"I would appreciate it if you did not bring it up." Regina broke the silence, not looking up. Emma opened her mouth to speak, but Regina added "You know what I'm talking about."

Emma closed her mouth again. She searched her brain for something to talk about, settling on the one thing she knew they both had in common: Henry.

"How's the kid?"

Regina finally looked up. "You're with him almost as much as I am, you should know. And what you don't know firsthand you get from Ms. Blanchard."

"You know that's not true. Well, I do ask Mary Margaret about him, but the time-spending thing. I see him occasionally. You're there when he goes to bed, when he wakes up." Emma looked into her milk and added almost as an afterthought "You always have been."

Regina's gaze softened, as did her voice. "He's well. Still talking about the fairytale stuff constantly, or 'Operation Cobra', as if I haven't figured out what it's a code name for." She smiled a little. "He's doing well in school. He eats his vegetables. He's still not really all that interested in interacting with kids his age, though he has talked to those siblings whose father you found." Guilt shot through her, which she tried her best to hide from Emma. _It seems like every time I try to advocate for what's best for someone I only ever hurt them. _"He used to like apples, but now he won't eat them," she added as an afterthought. She finished in a near-whisper. "He thinks I poison them or something."

Emma's heart hurt for Regina. All she'd done since arriving in Storybrooke was undermine the mayor as a mother, placing even more strain on a mother-son relationship that didn't need any more issues.

"I can talk to him if you'd like. He listens to me." Emma cringed when she realized how it sounded. "I just mean… I've only hurt your relationship with our son, and I'm sorry for that. I mean, I had an apple you brought me and I'm still here." Emma gave her milk a twisted smile. "And if there's anyone you have motive to poison it's me."

Regina placed a hand on Emma's wrist. Emma looked up.

She opened her mouth to say something comforting, something friendly, maybe even something flirty. To deny it. To reassure her tablemate. But the words died in her mouth. Her lips hung open for a moment, then she snapped her jaws shut quickly and blushed, looking down at where they were now touching.

Emma suddenly clutched Regina's hand and words came spilling out. "Regina, are you okay? Did Graham hit you? Did he ever hurt Henry? Did someone else abuse you? Do you… have a medical condition? Do you… Are you okay?" Emma really didn't know where these words were coming from even as she blurted them out; all her internal questions seemed to be taking flight of their own accord.

Regina blinked in surprise. She tried to process the questions one at a time. "Henry's fine, no one has laid a hand on him. Believe me when I tell you whoever would try would very quickly regret it."

Emma definitely believed her.

"I've not been in an abusive relationship. You knew Graham, you know he wouldn't hurt anyone without very good reason."

Emma nodded.

"I'm perfectly healthy. No conditions, cancers, illnesses, lumps, masses, diseases… I'm healthy."

She halfheartedly tried to retract her hand, the urge to fidget almost overwhelming.

Emma seemed to study her, never relinquishing her grasp on her hand. She repeated the conspicuously unanswered question gently.

"Are you okay?"

Regina looked downward, extremely uncomfortable with the elephant in the room finally being addressed. "I asked you to leave it alone. Can't you just respect my privacy?" she spat with more venom than necessary.

Emma lifted Regina's chin, essentially forcing her to meet her eye. "I've done nothing but try to respect your privacy while still helping you all day. I need you to let me help you. It's just one simple question: are you okay?"

Regina's gaze became firey. "Help me? I never asked you to help me. Your hero complex does _not_ give you the right to butt into my private life. With all due respect, Sheriff," She rose angrily. "As I've been telling you since you arrived here," Her voice was as cutting as possible as she leaned forward menacingly, hands gripping the sides of the kitchen table tightly. "Fuck. Off."

Emma blinked, leaning back in the chair, admittedly a bit frightened despite herself. She stood up to place them on equal footing again, leaning forward until their noses nearly touched. With as calm of a voice as she could muster, she replied "Twice you have verbally asked me to help you, as I recall. And in that clearing your eyes were screaming it louder than when we were in a burning building." She tried to inject caring into her voice. "This isn't about me or some hero complex. This isn't even just about making sure Henry has a stable, loving home anymore. I just need to know that you're okay."

Regina's eyes blazed with fury, her voice scorching with contempt perhaps fueled by more than a little resentment. "We were perfectly fine before you showed up."

For a moment Emma simply stared into Regina's eyes, her astonishment and hurt and guilt and many other mixed emotions playing across her face. Regina stared right back, gaze burning with what seemed to be cold hate. The passion, the raw power of emotion between the two was palatable. The air nearly crackled with electricity, an arc nearly forming between their noses.

_I could kiss her right now. _

The unbidden thought startled Regina, scared her even. The fear, the shock flashed in her eyes for a brief moment before she was suddenly out the door.

Before Emma could even blink the mayor had flown out of the room and out of the apartment, leaving her reeling. Emma collapsed back into her seat, spent. As she lay her head in her arms she had the oddest notion that maybe that was what hate sex was like.

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><p>Thanks for reading, as well as for waiting.<p>

Yes, I do own those Thumper pajamas. The matching top is hot pink. No shame.


	11. Chapter 11

This is a quick shout out to everyone who reads, reviews, and just plain puts up with my erratic posting. Thanks, y'all.

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><p>Mary Margaret pressed herself against the wall outside her apartment, thoroughly startled. She took a breath then entered the apartment, closing the door behind her. She hung her purse on the inside doorknob, then rushed to the kitchen when her eyes caught on the blonde curls splayed across the table.<p>

"Emma! Emma, what happened? Emma?"

Emma's head flew up, her eyes wide. When she saw Mary Margaret she exhaled loudly in an exaggerated sigh, pushing her hair out of her face and stretching. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

Mary Margaret stopped where she was, sighed in relief, then hurried over to sit across from Emma. "Am I seeing things or did I just see the mayor rush out of the apartment in your-" she stopped short when she caught sight of Emma's face. "My god, what happened?"

"What?" Then she noticed a chunk of apple that had apparently fallen out of her hair onto the table. "Oh. That."

Mary Margaret stared at Emma for a moment, waiting for explanation. When none was offered she got up to find the first aid kit.

Emma placed her head back on her arms.

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><p>A minute later Emma was seated on the couch, Mary Margaret perched on the coffee table in front of her. She dabbed at the laceration with a cotton swab.<p>

"Ow, that stings!"

"That means it's working. Hold still." A silent moment passed as Mary Margaret gently disinfected Emma's cheek, her tongue sticking out just a tad as she concentrated.

"Why are you home already anyway?"

"School was cancelled this afternoon. Some kid was missing for a while, then they found him on the roof. When they asked him how he got up there he said he'd climbed a beanstalk or something."

"Missing kid and they didn't call the sheriff?"

"They were going to, but then somebody got hit in the head by an egg dropped from the roof, they figured out he was up there, and they called the fire department."

"Hm."

Mary Margaret opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again.

"Yes?" Emma asked.

"Did you and the mayor…? Never mind. I'm not sure I want to know."

"We didn't slug it out, if that's what you're asking."

Mary Margaret's eyebrow rose questioningly. "So it wasn't Regina who gave you a black eye and a face full of apple pulp?"

"I'm not saying that."

Mary Margaret shook her head.

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><p>"I need to get back to work."<p>

"At least let your hair dry first. You'll catch a cold."

"I'll turn the heater on in my car."

"You'll melt your ice pack!"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Bye, _Mom_."

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><p>"Hey kid, how long have you been here alone?"<p>

"I'm not alone. Ruby's been watching me."

Ruby popped up from behind the desk on which Henry was perched. "Hi Emma! I was just reorganizing your-" She stopped mid-sentence when she noticed the black eye. "What happened?"

"She got into a fight with my mom again." Henry answered before Emma could speak.

Emma turned to Henry. "What makes you say that?"

"It's what happened, isn't it? When the bus dropped me off at home Mom was walking across the lawn all beat-up and wearing sweat pants, and when I asked her what happened she told me to go ask you. So I called and asked Ruby to take me over here, and when you weren't here Ruby said she'd wait with me. She even bought me Twizzlers!" he said, holding up the half-eaten pack. He glared at Ruby when she quickly grabbed a Twizzler and bit it with a cheeky grin.

"Hey!"

Ruby licked the length of it, then held it out. "Want it back?"

"Not now."

Emma smiled. "Settle down, kids."

Ruby indignigantly exclaimed "Hey, I'm twenty-six!" at the exact same time as Henry used the excuse "Hey, I'm ten."

The blonde couldn't suppress a chuckle, but the grin faded as she realized something. "Hey kid, what did you mean 'again'?"

"Like I didn't see the marks on both of your faces the day after Graham died. It doesn't take a genius to figure out you two went at it, then and now."

"Hey, your mother and I did _not_ just get into a brawl. She-" Emma cut herself off with a sigh. "Have her explain."

"Whatever. She acted weird earlier, just like last time."

Emma considered something for a moment, then seemed to make up her mind.

"Hey Rubes, can you keep an eye on Henry for a bit longer? I need to check on something."

Ruby nodded with an eager smile.

"And Henry, you keep an eye on Ruby." Emma added with a wink on her way out the door. The kid grinned as Ruby faked offense.

"She's checking on my mom." Henry said matter-of-factly as soon as Emma had left.

"Yup. They're totally together, even if they don't know it yet." Ruby replied in the same tone of voice.

Henry turned slowly to Ruby, eyes wide and incredulous.

She simply gave him a look that said "What?"

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><p>I feel like Henry's a bit out of character somehow, but I don't know. I'm kinda experimenting with playing with some of the other characters in this chapter, so let me know if anyone feels OOC.<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

HUGE trigger warning here. If you're trying not to self-harm and are triggered to do so by graphic accounts of self-harm, you might want to skip this chapter. Same goes for those who are squeamish or hematophobic.

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><p>Regina sat naked in the bathtub. She itched to turn on the scalding water, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to soak the bandages Emma had so carefully placed.<p>

_Because she's a good person. She's a decent person, unlike you. She cares. She risked her life to save her worst enemy from a burning building, she carried the biggest fucking bitch in the world through the woods, she took her to her own home and she tried to fix her. _

Regina almost scoffed.

_Like I could be fixed. I'm way beyond fixing. I'm just some heartless bitch. It would be _easier_ if I was a heartless bitch, because I wouldn't feel like such fucking crap for being such a fucking bitch. I can't do anything right. I tried to help Kathryn but I only ended up hurting her. I tried to keep Emma from getting those kids' hopes up, but turns out I would've denied them their _happy endings_. I saved Snow, but evidently it wasn't enough to keep her from betraying me. I could've prevented Daniel's death if I had run away with him earlier, if I had stood up to my mother earlier, if I had just made him leave before she could hurt him because of me. If I hadn't been so selfish, wanted my own happy ending, he could be alive somewhere. Not to mention that I fucking killed my own fucking daddy, just for some far-fetched hope of revenge and maybe even my own happy ending. And then to try to make up for it I name my son after him. Henry would've been better off if I'd never adopted him, he'd be off in suburbia somewhere with siblings and a real family and friends, being a happy normal kid. I fuck fucking everything up. _

She picked up a tiny blade she had liberated from a disposable razor just moments ago. She uncurled from the fetal position she'd been sitting in to expose the milky, supple skin of her thigh. She ran her hand from hip to knee, taking in both the softness and the countless little bumps.

She lightly placed the tip of the blade on her skin for a moment, barely alighting, only a tiny sting as evidence of its presence. She slowly drug the sharp blade in a straight line for about three centimeters, pressing not too hard but hard enough.

She leaned back, lounging against the porcelain as she watched her first cut of many for the evening slowly seep with blood.

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><p>Emma drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. She was tempted to break the speeding limit. Who would give her a ticket? But at the same time she kind of wanted to take her time, dreading what she might find. She wasn't really sure what had her so worried. What the mayor did after pushing people away was her business, right? But something nagged at her, pushing her to continue the drive until she realized. Regina's car was in the woods. She had to have walked home for over five miles in the chilly Maine weather. Barefoot.<p>

Driving through Main Street, Storybrooke the sheriff glanced about and pushed the speedometer a couple more miles per hour.

* * *

><p>Regina's mouth twisted in what was half smile and half grimace. She lazily traced her finger in the blood dripping down her leg and beginning to pool in the tub. Droplets of blood chasing each other down the side of her thigh she was accustomed to, droplets becoming streams and rivers not so much. But she was too light headed to care. It felt good. So good. The fuzziness in her head clouded her thinking, numbed her pain.<p>

She glanced downward. Her thighs were covered in angry red lines, millimeters apart, centimeters long. Each oozed with crimson tears running down both sides of either leg. The blood from the first few scars had started to coagulate, to congeal, but it was quickly awash with fresh blood. She tore her eyes away from the cream and scarlet mess in her lap as her head lolled back and she seemed to inspect the ceiling.

_I've become such a fucking mess._ She thought. _If only Mother could see me now. This is where all her "deals" and "sacrifices" got me. Is this what you wanted? And Daddy… Oh Daddy. I'm sorry. I am so sorry. For everything. I wish you were here. I wish you could hold me, make everything better. _Her eyelids slowly began to droop. _Or maybe I'm glad you're_ _not here, Daddy._ _I'm glad you don't have to see me like this, see what a mess I've become. I don't even have my power to hide behind now. I don't have power nor do I have love. I have nothing. At least before I had you, I had your love. But I ruined it. I ruin everything. Oh Daddy, I miss you. _

A series of sounds threatened her reverie; knocking, thumping of boots on stairs, even closer knocking. Was that her name? Still, she didn't stir. It was too peaceful there, in her bathtub, sticky with her own blood.

* * *

><p>Emma wasn't sure why, but her heart was pounding as she pulled up outside the mayor's house. Call it gut instinct, but she almost immediately broke into a run across the well-manicured lawn. When after what seemed an eternity she reached the door she knocked out of courtesy. To her surprise, the door swung open.<p>

She cautiously stepped inside, looking around. Nothing seemed out of place until her gaze turned downward. She followed a trail of smudges that looked suspiciously like blood.

The grim trail took a detour to the kitchen before leading her to the foot of the staircase. Hanging on the banister as she climbed the stairs was a white tank top. Sitting in a heap at the top of the stairs was a familiar pair of sweats. And laying outside the doorway in front of which the smudges disappeared was a borrowed set of boyshorts.

Adrenaline shot through Emma's veins as she dreaded what she would find beyond that door.

She tried the doorknob. It was locked. "Regina? Regina, it's Emma. Are you okay? I saw blood…"

She fell silent as she heard the tiny ting of metal hitting porcelain followed closely by a quiet groan.

"Regina? Regina, are you okay? What's going on in there?" She feared she already knew the answer. "Regina, can you let me in? Please?"

When after several second she was greeted only with silence she steeled her resolve. "Okay Regina, I'm coming in. Stand back."

The door splintered under the force of her boot, wood fragments flying as Emma charged in, then stopped short.

Her mouth hung open, her eyes wide, as she took a moment to process what she was seeing. The all-powerful mayor lay naked in her bathtub, head leaning against the lip of the tub, eyes closed. Her hands, limp at her sides, were covered in blood. Next to one lay a tiny razor blade. And her body… Her beautiful body simply lay there, passive, open. The scars began just below her ribcage and continued down both sides to her hips. And below her hips undoubtedly lay scars as well, but they were obscured by blood. So much blood. Emma couldn't tell where one cut ended and another began, her thighs were so covered in them. The blood trickled down her thighs to join pools beside her legs. These pools ran towards the drain, staining her shins and heels. Next to her, just outside the tub, sat a half-empty bottle of whisky.

Emma quickly came to her senses and rushed over. "Regina? Regina, can you hear me? Regina, I'm going to need to get you some help." Her right hand pressed a towel to a bloody thigh as the blonde kneeled next to the tub. She draped her left arm around Regina's shoulders, trying to awaken the woman, trying to determine if she was still alive, trying to provide some comfort. "Regina, please. Henry needs you. I need you. Regina, please hold on. Please hold on. Regina!"

Brunette hair tickled Emma's arm as Regina turned her head, lazily trying to nuzzle into the warm embrace.

Emma almost missed it, almost could've believed she'd imagined it. But the word slipped through Regina's lips before she became fully unconscious, just a wisp, floating in the air before it dissipated.

"Daddy."


	13. Chapter 13

I'm really sorry it took me so long to update, especially with such a cliffhanger.

I've had a review ask if adults self-harm. The answer is yes. It is more common in teenagers and it usually starts as a teenager or young adult, but adults do self-harm.

* * *

><p>Regina's head was splitting with pain as she swan near consciousness. Her mind was fuzzy, and at first none of her senses wanted to work quite properly. Some of them sharpened suddenly, causing a wince she felt couldn't actually be seen outside her mind. Her nose was stung with the sharp scent of astringent as two voices floated through the haze.<p>

"Right now she's just sleeping. You were right, it wasn't a concussion, but a bump on the head isn't well-treated with whiskey and almost-exsanguination. Though evidence suggests she hasn't slept well in a very long time, which is why we're going to try to let her sleep for as long as possible. Her body is physically exhausted."

"And the-" Emma's voice faltered. "And her legs?"

"Individually none of the cuts were quite deep enough to warrant stitches. However, when there's over a hundred of them on each leg…" Dr. Whale's voice finally lost some of his assuredness as he swallowed emotion. "When there are so many there is a serious risk of losing too much blood."

"Losing too much blood and…"

"And dying."

Regina didn't want to listen anymore, and let herself drift back to sleep.

* * *

><p>"Mom? Mom!" The voice pulled Regina out of her reverie, at least enough to be aware of what was going on around her. She felt the impact as Henry hit the bed.<p>

She felt him climb up there with her and, to her surprise, lay down alongside her and put her arm over his own shoulder. She felt her hospital gown dampen as Henry buried his face in her bosom.

"I'm so sorry, Mom. I- I don't know what happened for sure, really, but I overheard Emma talking to Ms. Blanchard and…" He hiccupped. "Oh mom, I'm so sorry. I don't know… Emma told Mary Margaret you did it to yourself. That she found you all bloody because of something you did to yourself. I don't understand, Mommy."

Regina's heart nearly burst. She was almost okay with what whatever it was that was making her cut hurting her, as it had for so long. But Henry… it tore her apart to hear Henry hurt.

Henry hiccuped, then began to speak again. "Emma won't really tell me anything, just that you're really hurt but that they're going to help you. She said that what was hurting you might've been hurting you for a very long time. And I'm really sorry. I don't want to lose you. Even though you're the Evil Queen… I don't know where this fits in. Did Rumpelstiltskin hurt you? Is this the price of the magic you used for the curse? I'm so confused. I know you're the Evil Queen and you probably deserve…" Regina steeled herself for something horrible, but Henry couldn't seem to come up with anything. "… something just, but you're still my mommy. I love Emma now too, but I don't want you to die. You're still my mommy."

It took a great deal of effort, but Regina managed to pull together the strength to move her hand to rest atop where his were clutching her gown. She heard a sob emerge from him and, to her utter surprise, a whispered "I love you."

She whispered "I love you too," and hoped he'd heard it before she slipped back to sleep.

* * *

><p>Regina felt herself pulled to the surface of the fog she'd been drifting in within her own mind. She could feel a hand clutching hers, gently stroking it with a thumb. It was warm, soft. Caring. She kind of hoped this hand would never go away. It was lonely in the endless expanse of grey mist she seemed to be stranded in.<p>

She forced herself to focus as she became aware of a voice that seemed to travel a great distance. She could hear a steady beep, a faint monotone voice crackling over an intercom. But what grasped her attention was a voice that had never before seemed so melodious.

"Hey, Regina. Mayor Mills. I don't know, I'm kind of unclear on the boundaries here." A faint chuckle. A weary sigh. "Henry misses you. You've been out of it for three days, and he's really worried. I keep trying to console him, to be there for him, but…" the voice became distorted by emotion. "I don't know what to tell him. He's so inquisitive, always wanting to know what's going on, always asking questions… How do you tell a kid that his mom is in the hospital because she carved up her own legs?" Emma took a breath. "I hope it doesn't sound like I'm judging you, because I'm not. I don't know what you've been through. Who knows, maybe you've had an even worse time of it than I had. I just… it's hard. I've been staying with Henry, Dr. Hopper said it would be good to keep things as normal as possible so I'm sleeping on your couch so he can stay in his own home, but… It's hard. I'll never underestimate what you've done for the past ten years again."

Regina could hear a faint smile in the voice and was overcome with the sudden urge to be able to see it. With great effort she opened her eyes just a sliver. It took her a moment to adjust to the sudden brightness. At first all she could see was blonde curls framed by ethereal light, as if an angel was seated at her bedside. As Emma's face gained focus Regina was surprised to find tears in her eyes. She watched as Emma continued to talk to their conjoined hands.

"I miss you, Regina. I never thought I'd say that, but… I don't know. Something changed. I don't really know when. I guess I saw another side of you or something. But we need you to come back. Henry needs you. Storybrooke needs her mayor." A pause. "And I need you. I miss you running around pushing my buttons, pissing me off at every opportunity and… Oh, I don't know. Just please come back." Emma bit her lip as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I don't even know why I'm crying so much. I… I'm Sheriff Emma Swan, I don't cry." She wiped at her tears with the back of a hand, never letting go of Regina.

Regina's heart swelled. She itched to reach out to Emma, to tell her everything is going to be okay, even if she's not sure it's going to be. She wanted to brush away those mascara-streaked tears. She wanted to tell her that she wasn't worth crying over, that it was her fault, that she was so sorry she'd hurt anyone else. But she simply didn't have the energy, so she simply listened as Emma continued.

"I've tried to figure out why you did it. What would cause someone to take a blade to her own skin. How someone could be hurting so much she could use something this tiny to do so much damage."

Regina's heart skipped a beat as she watched Emma pull a tiny sliver of metal out of her wallet. Emma glanced at the heart monitor, then back to the miniscule razor blade in her hand. Regina could hear her heart pounding in her throat as Emma turned it this way and that, watching as it glinted in the light.

"I don't understand. I did some research over the past few days, but I still don't get it. How someone could feel so bad about herself that cutting becomes an addiction, a ritual."

_I hadn't thought of it like that. An addiction._

"I don't understand what has to be going through your mind to make you want to hurt yourself. I mean, I read that more women cut than men, that being queer or having a history of abuse raises the likelihood of cutting, that most people who cut started as teens or young adults but it can continue into adulthood… But those are just facts. Statistics. I couldn't find anything on what could make you so… broken, depressed, low, whatever… that you would cut into your own thighs over three hundred times."

_Over three hundred times. Definitely a personal record. Could it really have been over three hundred times?_

Regina's eyes closed as she felt tears stinging at her eyelids. She felt a gentle hand on her cheek as Emma whispered "I don't understand."

Her heart beat rapidly as she awaited what Emma would say next. She waited for the kindness, the empathy to end. No one except maybe her Daddy had ever shown her this much care. It had to be a trick. She waited with baited breath for the cold splash of reality.

"Shit, that's sharp!"

Regina's eyes flew open. She audibly gasped as she watched Emma drop the blade to the ground and press her shirt to her wrist. The fuzzy grey fog that had lingered in her mind and in her limbs quickly dissipated as she sat up in shock.

"Emma, what the fuck did you do?"

Emma looked up with eyes as big as saucers, full of shock and surprise mingled with guilt. Her mouth hung open as Regina grabbed at her left wrist.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Regina's voice was angry, accusatory as she forced Emma to face up to the thin line on her wrist that was oozing blood.

"I- I… I wanted to understand!" Emma stammered out.

A myriad of emotions flashed across Regina's face too quickly for her to even register. "Don't." she seethed. "Don't ever… You don't need to… I cut because I deserve it, okay? I'm a fucking terrible person who screws everything up and hurts everyone I care about but I don't even have the fucking courage to just end it!" She took a couple of heavy breaths before continuing in the same hushed yet fervent, desperate tone. "Don't you **ever** do that again, you hear me?" Emma silently nodded, wincing slightly at the vice grip on her wrist. "Do not ever try that again. Henry needs someone he can count on, someone to take care of him. He idolizes you. I've already fucked myself over way too much to be a good mother. You can **not** fall into the same pattern. **Never** start, because you will **never stop**."

Regina found herself panting. She looked down at the one small cut on Emma's wrist, then slowly relinquished her grip. Her gaze traveled up to meet Emma's wide, stunned stare.

* * *

><p>If I happen to have any readers who are medical professionals, feel free to correct me if I've gotten anything way off. But I have tried to add accurate detail to the best of my knowledge.<p>

Thank you for reading.


	14. Deleted Scene

This doesn't really fit in with where the story is right now, but I really wanted to include it. Think of it as sort of a deleted scene, I suppose. It fits in right after Mary Margaret tends to Emma and Emma goes back to work. Kinda fluffy. :3

* * *

><p>Mary Margaret shook her head. It wasn't the first time Emma had called her that sarcastically. When she thought about it, she supposed the moniker did sort of fit. But even though Emma had survived well on her own for the last twenty-eight years there were times the schoolteacher just couldn't help it. That woman was in dire need of parenting sometimes. She probably hadn't eaten a vegetable or been to the dentist in a decade.<p>

As she walked to the laundry room Mary Margaret smiled down at the pajama pants Emma had changed out of and left on the floor. For all her childish behavior, Emma did look adorable in Disney bunny pjs. A mischievous grin spread across her face as she contemplated getting Emma footie pajamas for Christmas.

Tossing the pjs into the appropriate color pile, she opened the washer to see if there was any laundry in there already. Seeing a few wet articles of clothing she began to check for stains before putting them in the dryer, something Emma usually neglected to do. The skinny jeans checked out fine. She noted with some humor that the only garments left were white tank tops as she grabbed them. "Grass stains? _Blood_ stains? What the heck, Emma?" She applied some bleach before moving on to the drier.

She pulled out a black pencil skirt with a puzzled expression. Not recognizing it as something Emma would wear. Her bemusement only grew when she pulled out a deep purple silk blouse on which she found several tiny rips. She hung it on a hanger, then reached for the rest of the contents of the dryer. Her jaw hung open as she turned the lacy black matching bra and underwear set with little purple bows over in her hands. She stared dumbfounded for a moment, sure they weren't hers or Emma's, before an image clicked in her head. Her eyes widened as she recalled almost being trampled by the mayor, barefoot and clad in Emma's sweats and a white tank top. She cautiously set the undergarments down on the table in the laundry room, unsure of how to feel about Mayor Mills' panties in her apartment, and went to go check under Emma's bed for a pair of shiny black designer power heels.

* * *

><p>Sorry if I confuse anyone, I just thought this would be fun. Now back to your regularly scheduled, erratically posted programming.<p> 


	15. Chapter 15

No, this chapter isn't very Swan Queen. Yes, I'm trying to develop a character besides Regina/Emma. Shoot me. :3

* * *

><p>"Mayor Mills? I know you're awake. Sheriff Swan called me in here."<p>

Regina's back was turned towards the door, her knees brought up to her chin as she lay on her side. She didn't respond.

"Regina? Please, it's just Dr. Hopper and I. Not even Dr. Whale."

Regina only tightened her fetal position.

Emma gestured for Archie to stay back as she approached. "Regina, we just want to check some things out. Please." Regina flinched when Emma placed a hand on her shoulder.

"My room doesn't have windows." Regina's voice was scratchy.

"No, it doesn't" Archie agreed, a bit perplexed but just glad she was talking.

Regina sighed as if exasperated by perceived idiocy. "No windows. Means basement. Means psych ward. You think I'm crazy."

Emma moved her touch from Regina's shoulder to gently brush a bit of hair out of the mayor's face. "We don't think you're crazy. We think you have a mental illness. Regina, you came in with hundreds of self-inflicted wounds and several hundred more scars." Emma's voice had an emotional hitch. "We just want to help you."

Emma barely caught the muffled response. "Don't bother."

Emma's gaze softened as her heart visibly broke. "Regina…"

But she was cut off by an excited exclamation as someone burst past her.

"Mom!"

"Henry, wait!" Ruby tripped into the room a second behind the boisterous ten-year-old and mouthed an apology to Emma.

Henry had stopped short at the sight of the bundle on the bed. He cautiously walked around to the other side. "Mom?"

Regina mustered a tired smile. "Hello, Henry." She reached out to cup his cheek.

Henry stood stunned as he covered her hand with his, then brought them down to hold her one hand in both of his. "Hi mom." He said weakly, playing with a simple gold band on her finger.

"Henry?" Regina asked.

He met her gaze.

"Henry, are you afraid of me?"

He seemed to mull over the question for a moment.

"I'm afraid _for_ you."

Henry wiped at the tears flowing into Regina's hair, then wiped at his own eyes as he tried not to cry. He tried to be a big boy. However, his voice came out small as he commented "I've never seen you cry before."

To his surprise, Regina smiled. "Is it weird to think that the Evil Queen might have emotion?"

Henry smiled in return. "Kinda, yeah." He opened his mouth to ask a question, but was cut off by a hand on his shoulder.

"Henry, how about we go get a snack at Granny's? I think your mom needs to talk to Emma and Archie right now."

Henry looked up at Ruby. For a moment he considered refusing to leave his mom, but he decided it was safe to leave her in Emma's hands. "Okay."

However, Regina spoke up. "Actually, Henry, why don't you take Archie with you? I know you have plenty you need to talk to him about. I'll be okay with Emma."

Henry, a little surprised at the use of Emma's first name, looked up at the blonde as if deferring the decision to someone older.

Emma rounded the bed and addressed Ruby and Henry. "Why don't you two take Doctor Hopper to Granny's, have a cup of hot chocolate for me?" She smiled wearily at Henry. Her voice took on a more serious tone as she turned to the man leaning against the doorframe with his umbrella. "We can call if we need anything."

Archie nodded.

Ruby looked at Henry. "Ice cream sound good? Granny finally ordered this one flavor I've been wanting to try for a while called Moose Tracks, I think you'll like it. Lots of chocolate." She added with a wink.

Henry looked up at her with a look of utter puzzlement. "_Moose _tracks?"

* * *

><p>"Well, I have to go start my shift. But you enjoy that ice cream." Ruby said with a smile. Wetting a napkin and wiping a bit of chocolate off Henry's chin, she added "And try to get most of it in your mouth."<p>

Henry gave her his brightest grin, then continued to smile into his dish long after she had disappeared into the kitchen.

Archie's head turned to the side just a hair as he noticed something. Smiling gently, he started "Henry?"

The boy looked up doe-eyed. "Yes?"

"Anything you want to tell me?"

"What? No." he responded a bit too quickly. He smiled shyly. "Okay, I guess, yeah."

Archie smiled encouragingly.

"I kind of like Ruby. Like… like-like her." He whispered, placing emphasis on the first "like" in the conspiratorial tone of a school boy trying to be discreet while still getting his point across.

Archie smiled. "That's good." He encouraged. "I bet you'll be quite the romancer when you get older." He teased gently.

"You think so?"

"You've got the handsome smile down pat."

Henry smiled down at his ice cream, turning as red as the lipstick of the waitress approaching behind him.

"Sure do." Ruby said, setting down a cup of hot chocolate with cinnamon. "Little ladies' man. I bet you have all the fair maidens."

If possible Henry, embarrassed to silence, turned an even brighter shade of red.

Ruby ruffled Henry's hair and quickly planted a kiss on his forehead, giving Archie a wink that suggested she'd known exactly what Henry had just confessed, perhaps even before Henry did.

Archie smiled and shook his head as she pranced back to the kitchen.

Henry, sure he was about to _die_ of embarrassment, wiped at the lipstick stain with his sleeve.


	16. Chapter 16

At the hospital Emma's eyes flitted around the small room looking for a place to sit in preparation for her discussion with Regina. She started towards the chair she'd spent much time in when Regina was out, but her face drained of color when she noticed a fleck of blood on the left armrest. Pushing aside regrets she alighted on the foot of Regina's bed, facing the opposite direction as the woman still on her side in the fetal position.

She shifted a bit, turning to her right as she watched the fluttering of dark hair with every inhale and exhale. Her hand hovered for a moment over Regina's side before reaching over to grab one of her hands in comfort. She smiled sadly as Regina grasped her hand tightly in response.

A meek voice broke the silence. "So what happens now?"

Emma looked down at Regina, face full of concern. "What do you mean?"

"What happens now? Padded walls without a sharp thing in sight? Or heavy medication, perhaps? I'm not too familiar with how this sort of thing goes in this world."

The last sentence troubled Emma, but she chose to ignore it for now. "No padded walls. Dr. Whale says you can be discharged either this evening or in the morning if you agree to submit to treatment. And there may be antidepressants if they're deemed necessary, but not if you don't want to."

Regina's voice was small, scared. Emma had to pay close attention to make sure she heard correctly. "So… no shock therapy?"

"Shock therapy?" Emma's eyes were wide as she made sure she heard correctly.

Regina nodded without lifting her head from the pillow, intentionally avoiding Emma's gaze.

Emma's heart broke. She turned around, sitting crisscross on the bed, facing Regina directly.

"No!" Her voice was kind but insistent, and a little bit shocked. "No honey, of course not. I would never, _never_ subject you to that. That's… that's barbaric! I don't think that's been done since like… the sixties. What… Why would you think that?"

Regina sat up slowly, mirroring Emma's position. With her left arm she hugged herself around the abdomen, looking small in the baggy, drab hospital scrubs she'd been given. Her right hand came up to her face, her thumb caressing her upper lip.

"That's how I got this scar."

* * *

><p>"Emma, electroconvulsive therapy is a viable option."<p>

"No. No way! It's… it's sick! How would torturing her help her?"

"With all due respect, Sheriff Swan, I don't think you really know much about ECT."

"Oh really? Educate me, then." Emma leaned on one leg, her hand on her hip brushing her jacket back so that both her badge and her holstered gun were in view.

Dr. Whale continued unfazed. "Despite public perception, it's really quite safe and effective. Most medical and psychiatric authorities condone its use. Most patients don't find it too unpleasant, even. A muscle relaxant is administered to prevent bone breakage or dislocation…"

Emma cut him off. "Muscle relaxants are terrifying; they make you feel like you're suffocating. And you're still saying it isn't torture?"

Dr. Whale looked a bit perturbed, perhaps contemplating how Emma knew the effects of muscle relaxants or perhaps simply irritated at being interrupted. Nevertheless, he continued calmly. "Anesthesia counters the adverse effects of the muscle relaxants, and oftentimes patients aren't even conscious for the procedure."

"Well isn't that a relief." Emma snapped. "What are the side effects?"

"Well, patients oftentimes wake up with muscle fatigue, but that's an effect of the muscle relaxants, not the electroconvulsive therapy itself." At a look from Emma he continued somewhat reluctantly. "Confusion is common after the procedure, but usually only lasts for a few hours at most." The next words out of his mouth were quieter, and Emma didn't quite catch them.

"What was that?"

"There is, also, a risk of memory loss," he seemed reluctant to divulge.

Emma's eyebrow rose. "How severe?"

"It doesn't always happen. There are some cases of the muddling of memories for about two weeks before and after the procedure, but memories are often retrievable. It has to do with the association of the hippocampus with…"

Again, Emma cut him off. "And in extreme cases?"

"In extreme cases…" Dr. Whale suddenly found Emma's boots fascinating as a trace of red crept up his cheeks. "In 2005 a South Carolina court jury awarded a little over six hundred thousand dollars to a woman who lost memory of about 30 years of her life." The tone of his voice almost made the last few words sound like a question.

Emma's mind was made up. "No. Absolutely not."

At that moment Dr. Hopper strode over to where the two stood in the hall outside Regina's room. "Henry's having fun as the new 'designated stirrer' in the kitchen at Granny's. Ruby's a bit busy, but both she and Granny have an eye on him and they have Ms. Blanchard's number if need be," he told Emma. He turned to Dr. Whale. "Absolutely not what?"

Emma answered angrily "He wants to shock Regina."

Archie's face took on an expression of curious surprise. "Electroconvulsive therapy? This early in treatment?"

Dr. Whale became defensive. "It's been proven very effective in treating severe depression, as well as a host of other mental illnesses." He turned to Emma. "And it's_ safe_."

"I've already promised her it would never happen, and there's no way I'm going to break that promise. And she's terrified of it, there's no way you'd get her consent."

Dr. Whale's arms were folded over his chest. "I wouldn't necessarily need her consent. There are provisions in state, federal, and/or local laws that turn some responsibility for care over to law enforcement" he gestured to Emma. "when a medical professional observes that a patient is a danger to herself or others. Which Mayor Mills obviously is."

Emma, now furious, opened her mouth but was cut off by Dr. Hopper.

"Now I'm by no means intimately familiar with the practice of ECT, but I'm reasonably sure one would need a court order to administer the procedure without the patient's consent. Even if you were able to obtain such order or the consent of the patient, might I remind you that electroconvulsive therapy is widely accepted only in cases where all other treatment options have proved ineffective. It's a bit premature to begin talk of ECT before antidepressants or even talk therapy has been administered, don't you think?" Archie displayed a disarmingly friendly smile. "Now Doctor Whale, this enthusiasm wouldn't have anything to do with the shiny new electroconvulsive therapy equipment the hospital received last month that you were gushing about at the recent conference about the treatment of the patient Belle French, would it?"

Dr. Whale's face grew slightly pink as he studied the umbrella Archie held at his side. "I think I'll, um, update the patient file," he said, jerking a thumb toward the hallway behind him. "Transfer primary care over to you." As he turned to leave Emma heard him swallow audibly.

When he was out of the room Emma nodded to Archie. "Thanks."

Doctor Hopper nodded graciously. "I'm glad you've stepped up as her emergency contact. It's good she has you to look out for her."

Inside the darkened room where she was assumed to be asleep Regina clutched her knees, extremely grateful for the very same thing.

* * *

><p>I am by no means an expert on electroconvulsive therapy or the laws surrounding it. Most of the information about ECT in this chapter is from skimming a Wikipedia article, so do not quote me on any of it.<p> 


	17. Chapter 17

"Regina, you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll call you if I need help _changing."_ Regina rolled her eyes as she ascended the stairs. "I'll be back down in a minute."  
>Emma smiled reassuringly at the uneasy boy at her side. "Hey kid, you okay?"<p>

"Is she going to be alright?" Henry's gaze was trained on the stairs.

Emma ruffled his hair. "I'm going to stick around for as long as it takes to make sure you're _both_ okay."

Henry smiled up at her. "So you're not going back to Ms. Blanchard?"

Emma smiled. "I'll still be sleeping on your couch."

She laughed aloud as Henry stuck his arms in the air in excitement and exclaimed "Yes! I get to keep _both_ moms!"

* * *

><p>"Can I come in?" Emma knocked on the door frame before entering Regina's bedroom.<p>

She found Regina dressed in a very familiar tank top and sweats, looking into a mirror over her dresser with her back turned to Emma.

Emma stood a foot inside the door. "Henry's downstairs, working on his homework. Their assignment is to collect some dust to look at under a microscope tomorrow, only he's having a hard time finding any in here. I told him he could check the Bug if he needed to." She said with a smile.

When Regina didn't respond Emma walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Regina still didn't respond, nor did she lift her gaze. Emma felt her trembling slightly under her grasp and moved to brush the hair out of Regina's face when her gaze was pulled downward. She saw Regina's left arm outstretched, her right hand holding a hairpin millimeters above her skin. She seemed to be trying desperately to hurt herself and trying desperately not to in the same moment.

Emma gently, slowly wrapped her arms around Regina. "Please. Don't." she breathed into the dark hair tickling her nose. Her left hand brought the brunette's left arm back down to her side as her right gently pried away the hairpin and set it back on the dresser. Regina leaned back into Emma, wrapping their arms around herself.

"I want to resist. For Henry. For you." Regina's voice was quiet but clear.

Emma rested her chin on Regina's shoulder and simply stood there, holding her. "Thank you. For trying to resist."

Regina spun in her grasp. She placed her hands on Emma's shoulders, Emma's arms at her waist. Their noses were centimeters apart. Dark eyes searched green ones. Emma could feel Regina's breath as she whispered "Why do you care?"

Emma took a moment to gather her thoughts, not quite meeting Regina's gaze as she thought. She couldn't quite tear her eyes away from the scar on the lips inches from hers as she composed what she was going to say.

"I had never seen you as anything but an obstacle before that afternoon. You were… someone to butt heads with. Someone I couldn't seem to avoid but looking back, I didn't really want to. But then everything changed when I found you in that clearing. It hit me." Emma smiled, and Regina shifted her gaze. Emma's black eye had mostly faded, but not entirely. "I realized that there was more to you than anger. You're a much more complex person than I thought. And that vulnerability… I could see that you were hurting. Are hurting. And I couldn't- can't just let you suffer alone. For Henry's sake and yours, I want to be there for you. I honestly don't know what you've gone through and what you're going through, but I can tell that whatever it is it's terrible and no one should have to bear that burden alone."

By this time Regina's face was buried in Emma's neck and she could feel the hot tears dripping down her collarbone. Nevertheless, she was able to hear the muffled question "But what if I deserve it?"

Emma hugged Regina tighter. "You don't. No one deserves having to struggle alone. No one." Right arm around Regina's back, left hand on the back of her head, Emma whispered into her hair "You deserve happiness."

* * *

><p>"Hey, kid. Got your gunk?" Emma smiled at Henry, whose arms were covered in grime up to his elbows, spots on his knees, and even had a smudge on his nose.<p>

He smiled brightly. "Yup! Your car's full of it, especially the trunk!"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Geez, kid. You sure you didn't roll around in the engine? You've got a little something right…" she swiped at her own nose.

Henry's brow furrowed as he rubbed his nose. Emma laughed as the smudge only grew bigger. Henry didn't really understand what was so funny but smiled anyway, pleased to have amused her.

Emma ruffled his hair. "Go hop in the shower and I'll get dinner started."

She smiled after him as he bounded up the stairs.

After about half an hour a squeaky-clean Henry in a dashing blue bathrobe, dinosaur pajamas, and slippers sat at the kitchen table next to an uncharacteristically quiet Regina. Henry, concerned, grabbed his mother's hand and gave her a small smile, which garnered a genuine smile in return. She continued to smile quietly at him as he hopped up to help grab silverware and the orange juice as Emma brought in glasses, apple slices with warm peanut butter sauce, and finally French toast complete with powdered sugar.

Henry was ecstatic. "I love French toast! We never have French toast! The sugar is so pretty, like snow! And we're having breakfast for dinner, all three of us! This is so cool!"

Emma and Regina shared an amused look as their son leapt into his seat and began to attack his food.

A few minutes later Regina spoke up to ask him to slow down at the same time as Emma suggested he try some fruit. They shared another soft smile.

Henry, however, was not amused. "But what if the apples are p-" A sharp look from Emma cut him off.

"I cut them up myself." Emma persuaded.

Henry gave her a not-so-subtle significant look and stage-whispered "But you found them here, right?'

Emma simply grabbed an apple slice, dipped it in the peanut butter, and took a bite. Regina quickly speared a slice and followed suit.

Henry reluctantly took some apple.

* * *

><p>After dinner Henry, hyped up on powdered sugar, insisted he wasn't sleepy. Emma suggested he pick out a bedtime story and, much to the surprise and perhaps relief of both mothers, he decided to give the fairytales a rest for one night and chose a collection of poems by Emily Dickinson. He perused the contents as both mothers tucked him into bed and perched at the foot of the bed on either side.<p>

Henry insisted Emma voice _The Savior must have been a docile Gentleman_, smirking throughout at his clever hint. He then slyly asked Regina to read _A Drop fell on the Apple Tree_. Next they each chose their own.

This time Regina went first, selecting "I felt a Funeral, in my Brain". Emma listened intently, curiously as Henry seemed to simply follow the rise and fall of her voice more than the actual words.

"_I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,_

_And Mourners to and fro_

_Kept treading – treading – till it seemed_

_That Sense was breaking through – _

_And when they all were seated,_

_A Service, like a Drum – _

_Kept beating – beating – till I thought_

_My Mind was going numb – _

_And then I heard them lift a Box_

_And creak across my Soul_

_With those same Boots of Lead, again,_

_Then Space – began to toll,_

_As all the Heavens were a Bell,_

_And Being, but an Ear,_

_And I, and Silence, some strange Race_

_Wrecked, solitary, here – _

_And then a Plank in Reason, broke,_

_And I dropped down, and down – _

_And hit a World, at every plunge,_

_And Finished knowing – then – "_

Regina was a bit nervous as she finished, wondering if Emma or Henry caught what was really going on in the poem. Emma gave her a significant look as she took the book, but Henry was fighting the pull of gravity on his eyelids.

Emma selected "Hope is the thing with feathers".

"_Hope is the thing with feathers _

_That perches in the soul, _

_And sings the tune without the words, _

_And never stops at all, _

_And sweetest in the gale is heard; _

_And sore must be the storm _

_That could abash the little bird _

_That kept so many warm. _

_I've heard it in the chillest land, _

_And on the strangest sea; _

_Yet, never, in extremity, _

_It asked a crumb of me."_

Regina found herself entranced by the cadence of Emma's voice, losing herself in the words. As she pulled herself out of a sort of trance she noticed that Henry has fallen fast asleep and shared a smile with Emma. The two took turns giving him a kiss on the forehead before turning out the light and exiting the room.

Emma walked Regina to her room and essentially tucked her in, which she was greatly surprised the mayor allowed. When Regina expected Emma to turn and leave she instead perched at the foot of the bed.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked quietly. The only light in the room streamed in dimly from the hallway, but Regina could clearly see the concern in her eyes.

Regina nodded mutely, pulling the covers up closer around herself.

Emma half-stood, sat down again, stood, and made her way to the door. She stood in the doorway when Regina quietly called "Emma?"

She turned, framed by the light of the hallway. "Yes?"

"Would you…" her voice broke off. She swallowed, then asked almost pleadingly "Don't go?"

Emma stepped back inside the room. "You want me to stay?"

Regina shyly scooted over in the bed.


	18. Chapter 18

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated, but here, have a bit of fluff. :3

* * *

><p>Emma was confused and disoriented when she awoke. First of all, this bed didn't smell quite right. Hers at Mary Margaret's had, frankly, smelled lightly of dust and Emma's own sweat. The couch she'd been sleeping on for the last several days had simply smelled of clean linen. But this bed had a heady, muskier smell. It smelled as if it had been slept in, yes, but there was also the lingering scent of perfume and… apple cider?<p>

The bed was much too comfortable to be hers or the couch, Emma realized. At she began to stretch she was hit with another realization as she felt a weight on her waist she quickly realized was an arm. She allowed herself a moment to lightly trace the hand that gripped her abdomen as she relished the feel of quiet, even breaths on the back of her neck.

Opening her eyes she could've groaned at the streams of light that managed to penetrate into the room around the heavy curtains. However, she opted to remain as silent as possible as she extricated herself gently from Regina's vice-like grip.

She marveled at how peaceful the dark woman seemed still in the throes of sleep. She seemed ages younger, her face having lost so many of the worry lines that plagued her when awake. Her face was open, expressive, as a ghost of a contented smile graced her lips.

Emma had to smile at the way the sleeping woman's brow furrowed at the sudden loss of contact as she sleepily grunted in protest.

"Sh. Sleep." Emma whispered as she plucked a strand of hair away from Regina's mouth and tucked it behind her ear, unadulterated affection on her face.

Emma frowned slightly as she began to contemplate the feelings swirling within her, her feet taking her downstairs.

* * *

><p>Regina's eyes flew open as she felt something hit the bed next to her.<p>

"Mom! Mom, wake up! Emma made breakfast and she won't let me eat until we're all at the table! Come on!"

Eyes still blurry, she smiled as she took in the excitement on Henry's face as he bounced on his knees on her bed.

"Come _on_!"

From downstairs came a muffled voice she recognized as Emma's. "Henry, come set the table!"

The boy hopped off the bed and rushed out of the room, only to return to the doorframe a second later to point a playfully warning finger at his mother before bounding down the stairs.

Regina smiled at her son's antics he normally wouldn't get away with, and her smile only grew as she noticed a long blonde hair on the pillow next to her.

* * *

><p>Regina was still a bit groggy as she entered the kitchen. She was quite a sight to see, very unlike her usual mayoral appearance. She once again wore Emma's sweatpants, this time with a grey t-shirt that read "PROPERTY OF BOSTON PD". Her hair was a mess, and her natural beauty shone through the bags under her eyes, her face without makeup. Her eyes were still half-closed, but she followed the delicious smells of coffee and bacon.<p>

Henry gave her a beaming smile as she sat down. "She's here, let's eat!"

"The entire house is going to smell like bacon all day!" Regina called playfully to Emma.

Emma turned around, a plate in each hand and one on one arm with a jug of orange juice under the other. She gave Regina a teasing smile as she dexterously set everything down on the kitchen table. "And that's a bad thing because…?"

Regina simply shot her a look as a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast was placed in front of her. "What, no hamburgers for breakfast?" she teased. "After breakfast for dinner, dinner for breakfast is only the logical step."

Emma looked a bit sheepish as she took her seat. "I only know how to cook breakfast foods."

Regina raised one eyebrow, glancing over at their son who was scarfing down his meal like he hadn't eaten in a week. "What have you and Henry been eating, then?"

"Mary Margaret brought things over." Emma seemed to tell her fork as her cheeks grew pinker.

Henry sat up. "She made this one casserole that was like mac n cheese, but crunchier! It was awesome!"

Regina had to smile. Looking down, something occurred to her.

"Sheriff Swan, I wasn't aware you had belonged to the Boston Police Department."

Emma glanced up at the shirt Regina was wearing, then trained her gaze on her plate once again. "I didn't"

"Where did you buy this shirt, then? It's rather comfortable."

"I didn't"

By this point Henry was interested as well, and Emma met neither gaze as she explained "It says Property of Boston PD because it belonged to the Boston Police Department. Err, a Boston Police detective." She glanced up and, seeing the still inquisitive looks, continued. "I may've played a game of poker with a woman at a place called the Dirty Robber and I may've accidentally on purpose walked off with the wrong shirt. Happy?"

Henry got a curious look in his eye and opened his mouth to ask something, but he was cut off by a sharp look from Regina.

"Yes, thank you."

An awkward silence somehow morphed into a comfortable silence as the three chewed.

Regina dipped the corner of her toast into the egg yolk and took a bite, then picked up a slice of bacon.

"This is delicious, Emma. Thank you. Henry, what do you say?"

Henry, his mouth full of scrambled eggs, managed a "thank you".

A smile grew on Emma's face as she looked up, meeting Regina's gaze.

As they shared a smile, Regina couldn't help but feel like maybe the happy ending she'd been hoping for would look something like this.

* * *

><p>I know that sounds like an ending, but it isn't THE end, I promise. And I will warn that it won't be all happiness and rainbows like this from now on either.<p> 


	19. Chapter 19

I'm not dead! :D

Warning: This chapter is no fluff. It contains pretty graphic non-fluff. Trigger warning.

* * *

><p>"But I need to-"<p>

"You're not going back to work for at least another week. Sydney's acting as temporary mayor, and I have Ruby covering for me. Now ideally we'd use this time talking through things with Archie."

"I am not seeing a shrink."

Emma gave a sort of amused sigh. "That's what I thought you'd say. I talked with Archie about what I could do to help you myself. I'm prepared to discuss things with you, and there are some antidepressants in the medicine cabinet if you want them."

"How is talking with you supposed to be any better? At least Dr. Hopper is licensed."

"So what, you'd rather talk to him?"

"No. I'm not going to lay down on a sofa and whine about how my mommy didn't love me enough like some common imbecile."

Emma groaned and rolled her eyes, running her fingers through her hair. "Why do you have to be so goddamn stubborn, woman?"

Regina folded her arms crossly. "Excuse me?"

Emma placed her right hand on her hip and gesticulated with the other while she vented some frustrations. "All I've been trying to do is help and all you've done is push me away. I only want to make sure you and Henry are okay, is that too much to believe? But no, every time I get close to seeing who you really are underneath all that snark and anger and superiority, every time I start to get past the bitch you pretend to be and get to know the real Regina, you shut me out. Why can't you-"

Regina cut her off with fury in her eyes. "Oh, so I'm a bitch now? You're a great psychiatrist, you really are."

"Oh, shut up. Stop twisting my words. You know what I meant."

"Oh, do I? I thought you saw me as some mental case too fucked up to make my own decisions. You-"

"Well you were sure making some great decisions before I stepped in, you and your friend Jack Daniels."

Emma and Regina were yelling over each other in the foyer, glaring at each other from inches away, when they were interrupted by a small figure clutching a backpack.

They both fell silent and turned a bit pink as Henry asked "Umm, are you two still taking me to school?"

* * *

><p>"Let's try to avoid getting into it again."<p>

"Agreed."

A silent moment passed as Emma and Regina sat side-by-side on the sofa, neither looking at the other.

"Is there any way I can get you to agree to just talk with me?" Emma turned towards Regina.

"I am _not_ going to just lay back and pour my heart out while you nod and take notes. However, I am unopposed to conversation."

"So, like this? We just kind of sit here and talk?"

"No, this still seems too… soft."

Emma rolled her eyes. "What if we do something else with our hands and kind of… chat during?"

Regina nodded. "I can go get the chess set out of the hall closet."

"I don't know how to play chess. How about Mario Kart?"

"Is that one of those games Henry plays on the computer?"

* * *

><p>Emma covered her mouth and nose as Regina blew dust off the checkers box.<p>

"We haven't pulled this out in ages."

"Fairytales come in the middle of family game night?"

"Well, yes. But even before that, we moved from checkers to chess when Henry was seven."

"Of course you did." Emma muttered. Regina let it slide.

"Black or red?"

"Red goes first, right?"

"Correct."

"I'll be red."

It was a few quiet minutes at the dining room table before conversation began, and Regina had beaten Emma twice before it really turned serious.

"So how did you get that scar?"

"It's a long story."

"We've got all the time in the world."

"Not really, we do need to pick up Henry at four and we should probably have lunch at some point before then."

"You know what I mean."

Regina sighed. "If I'm going to tell you I might as well start at the beginning. I was once deeply in love with a boy named Daniel. My mother didn't approve, but that didn't stop us. We planned to marry. But he was taken from me, and I was betrothed to someone else."

"Wait, by 'taken from you' you mean…"

"He died."

"I'm sorry."

Regina opened her mouth to begin again, but was quickly cut off.

"So you found someone else and got engaged? I didn't know you were married."

"I'm now a widow. It was a long time ago. And the matrimony wasn't by my choice."

"Wait, you mean an arranged marriage?" Emma was incredulous.

"Yes, common where I'm from. And if you keep interrupting I _will_ stop."

Emma nodded for her to continue.

"After Daniel was gone my life crumbled."

_As soon as her mother left the room Regina grabbed the skirts of her future wedding dress and fled to the quarters of the castle where she was staying until the wedding. Disgust rolled within her. The coldness in her voice as she addressed the young princess, the mask of stone that held her heartbreak and hatred, her mother's approval… it repulsed her. When at last she reached her room, flushed and out of breath, she locked and barred the door. _

_She took a moment to catch her breath, eyes closed, leaning against the door. When she opened them, she saw the dress, the symbol of the marriage she didn't want, of the sentence she'd soon be serving for daring to love, of the loveless high-class prison she'd be stuck in for the rest of her life. She hated it. She hated it more than she had ever hated anything she had ever worn. She hated it more than any inanimate object. She had to get out of it, now. _

_She fumbled with the fastenings keeping her in place, clumsy in her haste. She froze when she heard it rip, knowing that the punishment her mother would inflict would be severe. But in that moment she didn't care. She hated that dress, hated that marriage, and there was nothing she wanted to do more than to rip it to shreds. _

_Any care she previously had went out the window as she ripped and tore with all her might. The dress was ruined by the time she had it off, but she wasn't satisfied. She grabbed the knife from the breakfast tray and hacked away at the intricacies, at the opulence of the life she didn't want. She shredded the dress, then dropped down in the middle of the pile of ruined fabric, clutching the knife, sobbing. _

_She dreaded what her mother would do when she found the dress. She dreaded marrying a man old enough to be her father who didn't, who could never, love her. She dreaded playing mother to the child who had betrayed her, betrayed them, who had gotten Daniel killed. Most of all, she dreaded living without her beloved stable boy. _

_She knew what she had to do. Her heart pounded in her chest as she prepared herself. There was no life for her here. There was nothing left but pain and sadness. She had to end it, right here. She would go join her Daniel, where they could be happy together beyond the reach of her mother. _

_She pressed the knife to her wrist, closed her eyes, and dragged the serrated blade across her skin. To her utter disappointment, only a few drops of blood oozed out. She tried again, pressing harder, yet still some reservation within her stopped her from going very deep. She tried again and again, slashing at both wrists until she was weeping and bleeding all over her ruined wedding dress. She could feel herself getting lightheaded, and she smiled through her tears to think that it was working. She would be with Daniel soon. _

"_Regina?"_

_She froze, staring in horror at the door. _

"_Regina. Please let me in, dear."_

_Her heart was pounding in fear, but there was nowhere to run. She slashed wildly at her wrists, at her neck, everywhere she could reach, hoping to die before her mother could stop her. _

_Dread mounted in her as the plank barring the door turned into a snake and slithered away, then the deadbolt became a spider that scurried off to the side. The door slowly swung open, and her mother stepped inside. _

_The door slammed solidly shut, and the faint glow told Regina that no one would be going in or out. Her mother's face was expressionless as she took in the scene. The knife in Regina's hand glowed white-hot, and when she released it the weapon floated into the air and disappeared in a puff of smoke. _

_Cora looked faintly disapproving as she stepped forward. "One step forward, two steps back." She tutted. Her gaze bore into her daughter for a moment before flitting to the ruined dress. It slowly lifted into the air and resumed its original shape. Regina watched in fear as the threads stitched themselves back together and the bloodstains faded away until the gown looked as good as new. Cora nodded at it satisfactorily before gently placing it on a dress form. _

_Her eyes grew colder as she turned to her daughter, who was cowering on the floor, clutching her bloodied wrists. She strode over and with a flick of her head Regina was suspended in midair. Regina struggled to break free of the magic, but she remained a foot off the ground with her arms and legs stuck out on display, blood dripping downward. Cora surveyed her daughter. "My, what have you done?" There was no compassion in her voice, no concern. She was cold, distant, detached. Regina cringed as Cora lightly ran a finger over a gash on her neck, sealing it. _

"_I don't know why you would want to try to do this. Really, I don't. You're about to have everything anyone could want. You're going to be queen!" She continued to heal the gashes one by one. "And dear, no one wants a damaged wife. And certainly no one could want a damaged queen!"_

_That day Cora put her daughter back together as good as new, then watched as Regina scrubbed her own blood from the chamber floor, reopening an invisible wound whenever she didn't scrub hard enough or fast enough. The next few weeks became a game. Regina waited for any moment out from under her mother, watched for any opportunity to end her life. She was consumed by it, could think of nothing else. Everything became a weapon, an opportunity, if only her mother would turn away for just a minute. Her father watched with concern as she became more and more withdrawn, quiet, distant. They used to be close, partners in enduring her mother, but Regina pulled away. She could think of nothing but her next chance to fall off a tower or pick some nightlock. After seven failed suicide attempts Cora took to chaining her daughter to her bed at night so she could monitor her even as she slept. Regina spent her nights on the floor fantasizing about how to reach her Daniel again. After her twelfth attempt in three weeks her mother told the king that she had fallen ill, and confined her to her chambers. _

_On her fourth day in solitary confinement Regina awoke with a start to find her mother smiling down at her. She hadn't seen Cora the day before, which increased her trepidation upon facing her again. _

"_Good news, dear. I believe I may've found a cure. I've been inquiring about some way to curb your unfortunate hobby, and I've discovered that this mood isn't unique to you. Thought I must say, you do seem to have an extreme case. I've found something that is known to have young women like you feeling much better in no time. Many healer swear by shock therapy. Now this may hurt, but I'm only doing what's best for you."_

_Before Regina could react Cora placed her hands on her daughter's temples, rendering her immobile. As her hands began to glow blue Regina felt a blinding pain in her head. The pain soon shot its way through her entire body. Her every nerve felt like it was on fire. Her every cell screamed out in agony, yet Regina herself was mute with the pain. She could faintly hear Cora saying something about extreme measures for extreme cases as the pain doubled, tripled, quadrupled. Her every muscle tensed, and she could feel more than one bone break. Her mind went blank as she convulsed, as her flesh singed. Cora recoiled in horror as in a flash her daughter became blackened and scarred, a limp form splayed across the bed. _

_Regina felt utter relief as in a split second the pain was gone, leaving only an intense ache over all her body and an impenetrable fogginess in her head. She was vaguely aware of her mother trying frantically to heal the scorched skin, to undo the scar tissue snaking its way from each temple to canvass her entire body. She floated in and out of consciousness as her mother slowly healed broken and fractured bones, knitted together torn muscles. It was hours before her appearance was mostly returned to normal. It was days before she fully regained consciousness. Physically, she was mostly returned whole again. But no matter what Cora did, no matter how much magic she exhausted, a small line of scarring on Regina's upper lip refused to vanish. _

_Regina picked herself back up again. She decided that instead of quitting this life, she would exact her revenge. After a week free of suicide attempts, Regina was released back into the castle with the story of being thrown from her horse. _


	20. Chapter 20

Sorry it's been so long, I really don't know where my motivation went. Hopefully I'll be able to get this wrapped up in a time;y manner; it's beginning to come to a close.

* * *

><p>"Holy fuck. Your mom is a fucking psychopath. All those suicide attempts… and your dad did nothing? God, Regina. I am so, so sorry."<p>

Emma clutched Regina in her arms, gently stroking her hair as they sat on the couch. From the expression on Regina's face as she half-sat in Emma's lap, the embrace was more for Emma's sake than for her own. Nevertheless, tears glistened in her eyes the same as in Emma's.

"You aren't going to ask about…"

"You marrying a king? _Magic?_ We'll open that can of worms later."

Regina nodded. She had been nervous, talking about the other world with the one Henry seemed to think would break the curse. But something made her let go, tell the truth. There was a debilitating loneliness in having a whole other world in her head that only she could remember.

Emma was quiet for a moment as she rested her chin atop Regina's head, gently running her fingers through the dark, silky hair. There was a whirlwind of emotion swirling within her. Her heart broke for Regina, the actions she had taken while in Storybrooke making a little more sense in light of what little Emma knew of her past. Another emotion reigned as well, one borne less out of empathy than some deeper, stronger connection.

"How did Daniel die?" Emma asked.

"My mother killed him," Regina answered matter-of-factly.

"What?" Emma cried in alarm.

"My mother entrapped us, lured him closer with the false pretense of approval, then ripped out his heart and crushed it to sand." Regina tried to control her voice, but her eyes betrayed her as they welled up with tears.

"Holy fuck. I can't even… Why the fuck did she do that?"

"The king had proposed to me because I saved his daughter from a rampant horse. I was planning to run away with Daniel. She thought it best for me to eliminate any obstacles to my obtaining the crown."

"By which you mean kill your true love."

"Yes." Regina lowered her head as tears began to flow.

"My god Regina, I am so sorry." Emma clasped Regina tightly to herself, gently kissing the top of the sobbing woman's head as she tried to process everything.

"So…" she began. "So you're telling me that it's true? Everything Henry has been saying is true?"

Regina sniffled before beginning to extricate herself in preparation for the backlash she felt was soon to come. She wished she could hold onto whatever it was that she had with Emma, wished there was some way to at least put it off, but there was no denying it now. She had kind of always known that it couldn't last forever, that someday the curse would be broken. That seemed to be the way the world worked, or at least the way the old one did. Good always won, villains were punished for their misdeeds. For a second she contemplated what Daniel would think if he could see her now, a villain hellbent on revenge. Or maybe not so hellbent, so it seemed. She was, after all, about to voluntarily divulge her master plan to the protagonist, to her supposed enemy. She had to let Emma in, had to get it off her chest. It would probably end in the destruction of the curse, but maybe Henry would be happy that way. She could only hope it wouldn't end like it had in her dream.

Regina took a steadying breath. "Yes. No. Well, sort of. He only has one side of the story. But the curse, the other world, everyone's other identities, they're true. I… I am the Evil Queen. Your roommate is Snow White, Mr. Gold is Rumplestiltskin, Dr. Hopper is actually a cricket. It… it's true." Regina was conflicted between lowering her head in shame and fear or searching Emma's eyes, gauging her reaction. "I guess that makes you the Savior too, the Hope. The knight in shining armor come to save everyone from me. So…" she gulped. "You'll have to 'vanquish' me. Break the curse. I realize that, and without my magic there really isn't much I can do to stop you. I only ask that you don't kill me in front of Henry. He may hate me, but he still doesn't need to see that."

"What? _What?"_ Emma's expression was one of pure shock. "You believe… You're… It's really…" her mouth gaped open as she tried to process everything that was said. Suddenly, she pulled Regina into a hug. Surprised, the brunette stiffened as she awaited Emma's next words. "Regina, I'm not going to kill you. My god, I am _not_ going to kill you. I… I don't even…"

Regina relaxed minutely as her immediate fear for her life slowly waned. "You're not?"

"No, of course not! God, I got queasy when Mary Margaret made me kill a spider the other day. Not that that's the only reason I'm not going to kill you! I'm not going to kill you just because you think you're some fairytale evil queen. I… God, I don't know what the fuck to believe."

Regina looked at Emma imploringly. "You still don't believe? Henry's been telling you the whole time, there are hints all over Storybrooke, I just confessed… What more do you want?"

"I… I don't know, it's kind a lot to swallow! I don't know, some proof, maybe! Like, do some magic. Throw a fireball or something. Poison an apple."

"I can't, coming here meant losing all my power. Magic doesn't exist in this world. I… I can't!"

"Look, every rational fiber of my being is screaming that Henry finally got to you, that something's funny in the water here! One of the boys in one of the group homes I stayed in thought he was Spiderman, didn't make it true!"

Regina's mind raced. After months of doing everything she could to prevent Emma from finding out, she had no idea how to get her to do the opposite of what she'd wanted all along, how to get her to _believe_.

In one moment their eyes met. The panic, the fear, the confusion of both of them was transmitted in that moment as they locked eyes, their eyes telling each other everything they needed to know. In that moment, Regina knew exactly what she needed to do in order to get her to believe.

Emma's eyes went wide as their lips crashed together. Electricity crackled in the air, illuminating each other's faces in a sudden dark void that seemed to contain only the two of them. Purple mist swirled around them as they embraced, wind whipping at their hair. Regina felt a surge of exhilaration as the familiar crackle of magic spread from their joined lips to set her neurons on fire, then travel throughout her body to excite her every cell as power spread throughout her.

The mist faded, the darkness parted as a noise penetrated the cloud of energy. Regina ended the kiss reluctantly as she answered the familiar ring of the phone.

Emma lay sprawled on the sofa as she heard Regina speaking into the receiver faintly in the background. Her mind was utterly blown, and all she could seem to think about was getting her hands on Regina again. Her eyes were wide and her mouth agape as she lounged bonelessly, a strange energy humming throughout her body.

After Regina hung up the phone, she had to say Emma's name several times before she got her attention. "That was Henry. He's staying overnight with Ava and Nicholas." Emma simply nodded.

Concerned, Regina bent over and felt Emma's forehead. "Are you okay?"

Emma continued to stare blankly into space. "What… what the fuck was that?"

"That, my dear, was magic." Something in her words, something in her tone of voice, made Emma turn to look more closely at Regina. What she saw when she truly saw her for the first time took her breath away.

"You… You changed."

Looking down, Regina was surprised to find that her attire had indeed been altered. Where she had earlier been wearing a simple, businesslike suit there was instead a light blue-green riding outfit. Her professional, shoulder-length cut had grown into a long braid down her back. Emma couldn't help but admire her legs in the leather riding boots.

"I…wow." Regina breathed, fingering the fabric. "If this were to happen I would've expected the black gowns, the leather, the lace. Not this."

Emma reached out and gently ran her hand down the length of the braid. "You're beautiful," she commented. Regina blushed. "But why, how…"

Regina closed her eyes as she felt the energy within her, the magic once again flowing through her veins. As she opened them, a small flame flickered in her hand, playing through her fingers. Holding it up for Emma to see, she concentrated it and formed it into a small sphere in her palm.

She met Emma's eyes, smiling at the utter shock she was met with.

"There's your fireball. Now do you believe?"

* * *

><p>BOOM! There you have it folks, 20,000 words later Regina has her magic back. Just to clarify, the curse isn't completely broken yet, only kinda. That comes later, with the sexytimes y'all have been waiting 20 chapters for. Thank you for sticking around for this long, faithful readers. You shall soon be rewarded.<p> 


	21. Chapter 21

This has got to be some kind of record. Despite computer derpiness and my mom calling me off to a new household duty every time I got more than 3 words typed out, VOILA. Enjoy.

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><p>"Holy fuck. I… yeah. Yes. Wow." Emma stared enthralled at the little flickering ball. As she began to reach towards it Regina began to grow nervous that she would burn herself, but allowed it to a point. However, she cried out in alarm as Emma quickly scooped it out of her hand.<p>

"Don't, you'll…!" Her words were cut short as she watched Emma play with it unharmed. "…burn yourself." She finished in a whisper. "How…"

Emma looked up. "What? It's a magical fireball, right? So it can't hurt me?"

Regina looked on in amazement. "Well it is a magical fireball, yes. But it would still burn you. Unless…"

"Unless?" Emma prompted as she flippantly tossed the fire between her hands like a tennis ball.

"Emma, I think you have magic."

Emma's eyes grew wide, and in her shock she missed catching the fireball. Regina nabbed it one moment before it singed the coffee table.

"I… You're saying I have magic? I'm magical? I could do that?"

"Yes. Well, you'll need practice before you can do much more than play with a fire without burning yourself. Though at this point you should also have limited healing power."

Emma watched in amazement as a small burn she incurred while cooking breakfast vanished before her eyes. "Holy fuck."

"I wish you wouldn't curse like that." Regina said with distaste.

"Hey, I just learned that fairy tales are real, shared a mind-blowing kiss with the woman who tried to kill my mom, and acquired magical powers from the ensuing explosion. My mind is pretty fucking blown right now."

"Wait, what?" Regina pulled Emma's attention from where she was trying to heal a scar from an unfortunate childhood potato gun incident. "I tried to kill your mom? Who are you?"

"Oh yeah," Emma looked almost sheepish. "You don't know about that because Henry and I tore out that part of the book."

"_What?"_

"My mom is Mary Margaret, er, Snow. I am the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming."

"Holy fuck."

"Now you can't get on to me for saying it."

"The Savior is the daughter of Snow and Charming, the child I couldn't find. The tree… the tree transported you here before the curse. Yes, it would make sense for you to be the one to break the curse. The means are certainly unexpected, though. 'True love's kiss will break any curse.' Definitely not the way I thought this would go."

As Regina thought aloud Emma was also thinking. "Wait, so let me get this straight. I'm in love with my mom's step-mother?"

"Well, yes. I suppose so. Though I was nineteen when I married your grandfather, so I'm hardly much older than your mother, who was twelve."

"_Nineteen_? How old was the king?"

"King Leopold was forty-seven."

"That's fucked up."

"I still wish you would quit using that word," Regina chastised.

"Hey, you used it!"

"Once! You've used it about fifty times today!"

"Hyperbole!"

Regina opened her mouth to respond, but tempered herself. After a cleansing breath, she said in a much more even tone "Let's try to avoid argument for now, shall we?"

Emma nodded. "Agreed." After a pause "I can't believe this is happening. Any of it."

Regina smiled. "It is a lot to take in, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Hey, could you teach me how to do it? The fireball?"

"Before I show you how to conjure one yourself you should really have a firm grasp on how to control it. Here." Regina unceremoniously sent a fireball about the size of a golf ball hurdling toward Emma.

Emma, surprised and panicked, did the first thing that popped into her mind. As it flew towards her face she opened her mouth and swallowed it.

Regina stared in surprise for a moment before doubling over in laughter. "You were supposed to catch it, not eat it!"

Emma had her tongue sticking out and was fanning it with her hand. "That tasted like a jalapeno wrapped in cayenne wrapped in habanero roasted in the core of the sun!"

"You did just swallow fire! If you didn't think that was fun, you really don't want to experience the other end. Here." Regina stood and pulled Emma to her feet. She wrapped her arms around the blonde's abdomen and with one quick movement compressed, sending a brief jet of fire shooting out of Emma's throat.

After a brief bout of coughing, Emma grinned. "That was fucking awesome! I feel like a motherfucking dragon!"

Regina glared at Emma with her a hand on her hip. "I'm starting to believe you continue to curse profusely simply to annoy me," she chided. "We should get you some water. You could end up with some major heartburn, even with the magic."

Emma followed Regina into the kitchen smacking her lips. "I feel like I just took a huge gulp of scalding hot coffee spiked with hot sauce and tequila."

"That's magic for you."

* * *

><p>Emma pulled her head up from Regina's collarbone, propping herself up on the bed above the very naked brunette with her arms. "Wait, how did we get here?" she asked confusedly.<p>

Regina sighed as if Emma was really quite dense. "You wanted to see another 'magic trick', so I transported us up here," she said as the purple mist dissipated.

Emma glanced down at her own bare breasts. "Without our clothes?"

Regina smirked. "They're still in the kitchen." Suddenly her smirk began to fade. "I'm not being to forward, am I?"

"I think you're moving at exactly the right pace." Emma grinned as she captured Regina's left nipple between her teeth.

Regina moaned languidly, then abruptly tried to focus. "Let me close these and turn off the lights," she moaned as she tried to magic the curtains in place while Emma continued to nip and suck, mouth on one breast and hand on the other.

Emma pulled her head up and pouted, grabbing Regina's wrist. "Please don't. I want to see you."

Regina bit her lip and looked away. "No you don't."

Emma frowned. "Yes I do. You are beautiful, Regina. I want to watch you writhe as I touch you, watch your muscles spasm as I make you come. I want to be able to see you as I show you just how much you've come to mean to me."

Regina gazed at Emma imploringly. "But my scars…"

Emma smiled. "I know what to do about them." She gave Regina a quick peck on the lips, then moved lower.

Regina watched with tears in her eyes as Emma gently kissed her way down her ribs on either side, healing a scar with each soft touch. She could feel 28 long years of pain slowly fade as wounds inflicted over the years vanished one by one. Slowly her ribs became once again unmarred, then her hips, lower still to the more recent mess on her thighs.

Regina had tears running down her face by the time Emma crawled back up and settled in on her side next to her. She smiled as Emma leaned over to gently kiss away the tears.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, yes, I… That's the most romantic thing anyone's ever done." Regina sniffed.

Emma smiled and pressed a finger to her lips. "Don't tell anyone I'm going soft."

Regina smiled and stretched her neck to slowly kiss Emma, gazing into her eyes.

Emma continued to stare at her bedmate long after the kiss was broken. "Are you okay with leaving the lights on now? I mean, I have scars too," she said, gesturing to the half-healed potato gun scar as well as many others from years of a rough childhood and years in a rough job.

Regina gently ran her fingers over the scar right below Emma's ribs. "I wonder how you were able to heal all those scars if you were only half able to get rid of this one."

Emma smiled before going in for a kiss. "True love is the most powerful magic of all."

Regina smiled into the kiss. "You learn quickly."

Emma gave her a predatory smirk. "Why don't we cut the chatter so I can show you something I've always had magical abilities at?"

"Oh, so suave." Regina replied sarcastically before claiming Emma's lips once again.

Words were soon lost as the kiss grew more and more heated. Emma straddled Regina, who lay back against the pillows on the bed. One of the last coherent thoughts Regina had as Emma blazed a trail of hot kissed down her stomach was that she was really glad Henry was having a sleepover somewhere else. Then, all conscious thought was lost as she let out a long, loud moan.

Emma took great pleasure in teasing Regina, smirking when a well-placed nibble elicited the sexiest noise she had ever heard. Her hands explored smooth, taut skin as her mouth made its way to where Regina desperately wanted it. She began a rhythm with first one, then two fingers as her tongue flicked deftly over her clitoris. Emma noted with no dearth of self-satisfaction that Regina had been greatly anticipating this moment.

Regina clawed at the sheets with her left hand and had her right hopelessly entangled in Emma's hair as she was unabashedly vocal. Emma drove her very near the edge, but she held off. She wanted their first time together to be spectacular. "Let me kiss you" she groaned.

Emma trailed wet kissed up Regina's stomach and in the valley between her breasts, stopping to leave a hickey at her collarbone, before acquiescing to the demand. The kiss was impassioned as their tongues fought for dominance. Emma let out a startled yelp when she suddenly found herself on her back, Regina smirking down at her. Her eyes nearly rolled back in her head as Regina lavished attention on first one breast, then the other with her mouth as she teased the other with her hand. With Emma's prodding Regina quickly made her way downward, lavishing attention with her tongue before pausing for a moment. Emma watched with wide eyes as Regina's hand began to glow. Her mind was utterly blown as Regina thrust two fingers deep inside her and curled them, deftly finding the G spot with her vibrating fingers as her thumb made small, charged circles around Emma's clitoris. Her hand still buried in Emma, thrusting mightily, she brought herself up flush with Emma and kissed her passionately.

She moaned into the kiss as Emma once again darted two fingers into her, thrusting rapidly as her thumb worked her clit. She heroically maintained her rhythm within Emma as the two were once again flipped.

Electricity crackled in the air, wind whipping around the room as booth women neared their climax. Objects were torn and smashed in Regina's immaculate room as the storm brewed. Emma and Regina fought for dominance, wrestling around the bed as they thoroughly fucked each other.

"Oh, EMMA!" Regina's scream was earthshattering as the first wave of a terrific orgasm ripped through her. A second later, Emma cried "REGINA" as she too succumbed to the throes of bliss.

* * *

><p>Throughout Storybrooke, heads turned. Thunder crackled in the sky as a purple mushroom cloud billowed up from the Mayor's house and slowly made its way outward. The sky darkened as it carried two voices throughout the town. The names "Emma" and "Regina" echoed down every street, followed immediately by a purple mist that left clarity in its wake.<p>

In a pawn shop in Storybrooke a man set down a wooden doll whose clothes he'd been adjusting as the voices echoed. His face split into a grin as the purple mist seeped through the door of his shop. He welcomed it with open arms as his skin seemed to rapidly mottle, turning a greenish-gray color and acquiring a bumpy sheen. He turned quickly on his heel and pointed the cane he'd been leaning on towards two dolls. A crack of lightning seemed to shoot from it, and suddenly where the dolls had sat were two very confused humans. He giggled delightedly as with a spring in his step he strode quickly out of his shop.

* * *

><p>That was my second sex scene I've ever written, and the first one was a couple years ago and completely terrible. I think I'm definitely better at angst than smut. Feedback is greatly appreciated, especially constructive criticism.<p> 


	22. Chapter 22

I know, I'm sorry it took so long to update. I haven't been very motivated to write for this story as of late. But hey, I surpassed a quarter of a million words for this story, which is way longer than anything I'd written before, so y'all are lucky I've stuck it out this long. I'm looking for a way to wrap this story up in the next few chapters but I'm not sure how to neatly tie up the loose ends, so suggestions would be welcome.

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><p>"<em>Good mornin'"<em>

_Her heart skipped a beat. _

_There she was. _

_The mom Henry wanted. _

_The strongest, the bravest, the fairest of them all. _

_The embodiment of good. _

_The Hope. _

_Emma. _

_Hardly clothed. _

_The bleariness in her eyes faded away quickly. Her brow furrowed. She squinted, trying to make it make sense. It didn't make sense. But there she stood, Sherriff Swan, in nothing but a tank top and boyshorts. Leaning against the doorway. Biting her lip as the sheet succumbed to gravity. _

_The apparition stepped forward. It had to be an apparition. She had to be an apparition. I'm the Evil Queen, god dammit! I don't get a happy ending!_

_She stopped at the foot of the bed. Regina simply stared, dumbfounded. Her brain was incapable of conscious thought as it tried to process whatever the fuck was going on. _

_Then she noticed it. That little smirk. The same little smirk that had graced the lips of the woman before her right before she leaned in for that life-changing kiss. That same smirk she'd seen right before being shoved back onto the bed and climbed on top of. That same smirk on those same lips that had been all over her-_

_Oh god. _

_Oh Emma. _

_It all came back to her in one frightening blow that pushed her back down onto the bed. It knocked her flat on her back, that night. That life-changing, mind-altering night. That curse-breaking night. _

_She could do nothing but gape at the ceiling. _

_She would swear she could still feel the afterglow. _

"_Hey, you okay? I made pancakes."_

"I… yeah, I'm okay. Pancakes sound good."

Emma grinned. "Good, 'cause I made a ton. You'd better throw some clothes on before coming downstairs though, I'm about to put some pants on and go wake Henry. I found him in his bed this morning, guess he got homesick and snuck in last night."

"He wouldn't have…" Regina bit her lip as worry churned in her gut.

Emma smiled knowingly. "I doubt he came home early enough to hear us or he wouldn't be sleeping so soundly."

Regina swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood slowly, stretching.

Emma's pupils dilated as her gaze fixed on Regina's naked form. "On second thought, maybe we should forget about pancakes for the moment."

"Henry," Regina warned.

Emma sighed.

* * *

><p>"Hey kid, breakfast time. How do you like chocolate chip pancakes, or pancakes with sprinkles?"<p>

Regina eyed Emma. "That's what you made? You're such a child."

"Hey, those aren't the only flavors. There's also apple, blueberry, and vanilla almond."

"Mmm, you've been busy."

Emma leaned close to Regina's ear and whispered in a low voice "I find orgasms, magic, and a good night's sleep to be an invigorating combination."

Regina's blush deepened further as Henry stirred groggily. "D'you say magic?"

"You have a radar for that stuff, don't ya kid?"

Henry rubbed his eyes as he sat up. "I have a name."

"I know. Breakfast time, Herby."

Henry stuck his tongue out as he stretched. Suddenly he froze, and turned to his mothers with a quizzical look on his face. "Did you guys pick me up while I was sleeping?"

Regina and Emma shared a quizzical look before the former spoke. "We assumed you became homesick and snuck in sometime last night."

"I fell asleep with Nicolas and Ava and woke up here." He frowned as he thought. "Did you break the curse?" he asked eagerly, looking at Emma.

"I… I don't think so." Emma stuttered.

Suddenly Henry grabbed a pencil and lobbed it at his mothers. As it went hurdling towards Regina's face like a wooden bullet both Emma and Regina brought up their hands, and the projectile turned into a feather and began to float harmlessly towards the ground before bursting into flames and disappearing in a plume of dust.

Regina turned to Emma. "Fire? Was that really necessary?"

Emma shrugged as Henry barreled into her and hugged her around the middle. "You did! You did break the curse!"

Suddenly he took a huge step back. "But that means… that means the Evil Queen has her magic back, and you're standing right next to her! Emma, what are you doing? How did you break it anyway?"

Emma rubbed the back of her neck as Regina suddenly found the carpet intensely interesting.

"I, um…" Emma sighed. "Hey kid, you know what you said the other day?"

Henry thought back. "About getting to keep both moms? Because I'm not sure about how that's gonna work out if one is the Evil Queen and the other is the Savior who broke her curse."

"No, before that. About Operation Cobra?"

Henry frowned. "My theory, true love's kiss will break any curse? But Graham's dead." His frown deepened. "Please don't tell me it's Doctor Whale. Or Doctor Hopper!"

"What? No, I didn't kiss your therapist!" Emma bit her lip and looked to Regina. "I, um, we…"

Henry's eyes widened with comprehension. "Whoa whoa whoa. You kissed my _mom_?"

Regina spoke up. "Yes, dear. It would appear that the relationship between Sheriff Swan and I was the key to your Operation Cobra."

Emma turned to Regina. "Oh, don't start with the 'sheriff' stuff again."

Henry expected a show of her newly returned magic, but to his surprise Regina smiled kindly, lovingly.

"Emma."

Emma smiled. "Much better."

Henry held up his hands. "Okay, I believe you, you don't need to _show_ me!" Both mothers blushed. Henry's eyes narrowed as he looked to Emma. "Wait, she asked you if fire was really necessary. You have magic?"

Emma grinned and held up a hand, a small flame dancing between her fingers. "Yup! I wouldn't be surprised if you do too, the precision of that pencil. Here, catch!"

Regina's eyes bulged as Emma tossed the small flame towards their son. "No, don't…!"

She trailed off as he easily caught it and gently transferred it from hand to hand. "…hurt him. You're lucky you didn't singe his eyebrows off, or worse." She glared at Emma.

Emma just smiled at their son. "Come on downstairs. We have a lot to talk about, and we might as well do it over pancakes."

* * *

><p>Regina gaped as she entered the kitchen. "Emma, what did you <em>do<em>?"

The kitchen was a mess. Pancakes completely covered the counters, with a few spilling over onto the floor. Plumes of flour filled the air as pancake batter ingredients mixed themselves overzealously in a mixing bowl that periodically poured batter into one of several pans on the stove. A spatula flipped the pancakes and tossed them at random across the room. Pancake batter covered many of the burners on the stove, causing a cloud of smoke lingering near the ceiling.

Regina, coughing, waved her hands to magic the windows open. "Henry, open the doors!"

Emma looked around, panicked. "No, wait, I can fix this!" She pointed first at the mixing bowl, which promptly turned into a very large, flour-covered toad. Next was the spatula, falling to the floor with a croak. Emma waved both hands towards the pans on the stove, and pancakes slipped off the backs of three rather flat toads as they hopped off the still-smoking burners. The sprayer from the sink snaked over to douse the stove as Emma reached over to manually turn off the heat. Next she turned her focus to the cloud of smoke slowly dissipating through the open windows and doors, and with one gush gallons of chocolate milk rained down in the kitchen.

Regina, dripping, gave Emma a look. "Really, toads? That's so cliché."

Emma, her curls limp and tinged brown, shrugged.

Both women turned when they heard Henry's voice from the front door. "Mom, Emma? You guys might want to come here."

Emma and Regina sprinted to the foyer, and stopped short when they saw most of Storybrooke camped out on the front lawn.

Regina paled, and Emma instinctively grabbed for her hand. The townspeople did not look happy.


	23. Chapter 23

I know, _forever,_ sorry. I'm honestly low on ideas from here on out. Suggestions would be _much_ appreciated and would likely help me update.

Thanks to those who reviewed, it really helped motivate me to update knowing that people were still wanting updates.

* * *

><p>"Henry, get back!" Regina hissed, pushing him behind her. Panic swelled, and she could hear her blood rushing in her ears as she became somewhat lightheaded. She dropped Emma's hand and with a flourish was suddenly wearing something a bit more intimidating than milk-soaked pajamas. Looking back to see Henry peering out from behind Emma, she closed the front door behind her as she stepped onto the front porch to greet the mass with a sneer.<p>

With a fervent murmur the townspeople jumped to their feet, readying whatever weapons they'd grabbed on their way over. Dressed in an array of both Fairytale Land and this world's attire the mass appeared a motley crew; skinny-jeans-clad teenagers brandishing improvised torches and pitchfork-waving tshirt-wearers mingled with lavishly gowned princesses with Saturday Night specials and a seven-foot-tall lumberjack in buckskin revving a chainsaw. They pointed the business ends of their weapons towards the house but remained largely in position, unsure whether to attack or to cower until they were certain of the former Queen's power.

A lone figure approached, full of overinflated confidence. Still wearing his lab coat but sporting quite a bit of eyeliner Doctor Whale stood ahead of the pack, glaring daggers at the woman exuding confidence at the top of the steps.

Regina ignored the pounding on the door behind her, Emma's cries of "Regina, what are you doing! Let me help! They trust me, let me out!" and Henry's pleas of "Mom? Please don't hurt anyone! Mom, what's going on?" She smirked and addressed the glowering scientist. "Can I help you?"

Whale boldly stepped up to face her on level ground, his nose inches from hers. "That smirk isn't going to last forever, Regina. You took everything from us and now…"

Regina's smile was full of snark as she interrupted him. "What? Now you're gonna kill me?"

"Eventually," the doctor conceded with a nod. "But first you need to suffer."

Regina's smile disappeared as she shoved him in the chest, causing him to stumble backwards down the stairs and land on his bum, expression full of resentment. "Listening to you has been enough suffering for all of us." Regina's gaze lifted from the man sprawled on her lawn to the crowd before her. She stood an imposing figure in black leather pants and a raven corset reminiscent of her reign as Evil Queen with a black blazer with white trim that bespoke of her mayoral power in this land. "That's right," she purred, flipping her jacket with a flair that made many in the crowd instinctively flinch. "You wanted to see your Queen?" She paused dramatically, danger flashing in her dark eyes.

"Well, my dears…" The crowd awaited her next words with baited breath and poised weapons. The anticipation was palpable as Regina began her next word but was interrupted by the abrupt swinging open of the front door behind her. Emma and Henry burst through, surprising the crowd. One voiced called out "She's been keeping them captive!" to which Henry quickly replied "What? No, I _live_ here!"

Regina turned to Emma with a bewildered expression. "How did you get through? I enchanted it!"

Emma shrugged as she took stock of the situation before her. "Alohomora. Actually worked."

Regina was only more confused, but Emma had turned to the crowd. "Okay, everyone needs to just calm down. Put down your… pitchforks."

Met only with distrustful glares Emma huffed. "NOW! Come on, between being Sheriff and the whole Cursebreaker thing you've _got_ to listen to me!"

Regina placed a hand on Emma's shoulder as she whispered into her ear. "A milk-soaked woman in sweats doesn't exactly exude authority."

Charming, with Snow, Ruby, and Leroy & Co. arrived at exactly the wrong time. Charming jogged to the porch, drawing his sword, as Snow and Ruby began to try to disperse the crowd.

Charming looked every bit a prince in his red coat, though he'd paired them with jeans, as he pointed his weapon towards the woman with a hand on her daughter. "Unhand her!"

With a flick of Emma's finger and a roll of her eyes Charming's sword was wrenched out of his hand and sent hurdling upwards. "Oh, come on. Just 'cause apparently I'm a princess doesn't mean you have to come rescue me." James jumped back as his sword clattered to the ground in front of him. "I, and my son, am here of my own volition."

Mary Margaret placed a hand on Charming's shoulder and peered up at Emma in concern. "But Emma, she's the Evil Queen!"

"More like Stubborn Mayor. She hasn't cursed anyone in, like, thirty years."

"Emma, that doesn't change things, not really. She still placed the curse, took away everyone's happy endings. She took your childhood from you, and from us." Snow gestured to her husband. "Now we're not going to let them lynch her…" Several disappointed sighs rang out as weapons lowered. "…but there does need to be some sort of justice. Why don't we take her to your office until we get everything sorted out and everyone calmed down? It would be for her safety as much as anyone's."

Emma folded her arms. "I suppose by 'my office' you mean the cell there, don't you?"

Snow's expression was conciliatory. "It would only be fair, don't you think?"

Emma opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. "I'll come quietly," Regina announced, descending the stairs. "Provided I'm treated fairly and humanely."

The look on Snow's face was almost one of hurt. "Why wouldn't we be fair?"

* * *

><p>As Emma slid the bars into place and locked the cell she tried to reassure herself as much as Regina. "It's only temporary. We'll be back, I promise."<p>

Regina only nodded, sitting down on and feeling her cot.

As the group left Henry turned back for one last glimpse of Regina sitting in her cell fiddling with a ring before they exited the station. Emma placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's the matter, kid? This _is_ what you've been after since you found me."

Henry sighed, inspecting his shoelaces. "I guess I didn't expect it to feel so… sad. I guess she's still my mom, even if she is the Evil Queen. But you'll protect her, right? If they come back?"

Emma nodded, but Henry stopped her and implored earnestly "Promise. Please, promise to protect her. She _is_ your mmphfm" Henry was cut off mid-sentence by Emma's hand over his mouth as she warningly glanced to the happy couple leaning on each other as they walked.

"I promise."

The two fell back into step behind Snow and Charming and continued in companionable silence for several paces before Henry posed another question. "When are you going to tell your parents _how_ you broke the curse?" he whispered conspiratorially.

"Later," Emma huffed.

_How do you tell your long-lost mom you fucked her stepmother? _


	24. Chapter 24

I've had a burst of inspiration and now know where this is going, but I cannot guarantee that this will be updated in a timely manner. Still, I can say with reasonable certainty that this still has plenty more chapters left in it.

Some [a lot] of the dialogue borrowed directly from the show. Spoilers for 2x01 Broken

* * *

><p>Regina sat alone in her cell, staring at her hands. She had tried several times to conjure a small fireball, each time failing. She was coming to the conclusion that her magical ability was directly proportional to her proximity with Emma when she received an unexpected, and unwelcome, guest.<p>

"Magic is different here, dearie." Mr. Gold's eyes glinted with mischief and a sizable amount of gloating as he drank in the sight of Madame Mayor in the same cell he'd so recently inhabited when Deputy Lucas had arrested him for the assault of Moe French.

"I noticed," was Regina's curt reply. She eyed him distrustfully as he neared the bars.

There was a long pause where Rumple eyed Regina with predatory satisfaction, making her positively... itchy. She began to regret the low-cut nature of the corset she'd magicked into that morning as his eyes lingered.

"Get to it, Rumpel. What do you want? You're here to finish the job?"

"No, no, no," he grinned "You're safe from me."

Regina scoffed as she approached the bars, feigning an unperturbed demeanor. "I feel so relieved."

"I made a promise to someone that I won't kill you," Gold admitted.

"Who could elicit that from you?" she dismissed with disbelief.

"Belle."

"She's alive." Regina's surprised expression fooled no one.

"You are a dreadful liar."

Regina dropped her act and her tone turned biting as she spat "I could've killed her, but I didn't."

"Yeah, you did much worse than that." Ire in Rumple's expression betrayed his feelings, as did his words. "You kept her alive, so you could kill her when it suited you. A fate worse than death. Which, incidentally, is exactly what I've got in store for you."

Regina's defiant expression was quickly replaced by one of alarm as Gold pulled her arm through the bars and pressed into her palm a distinctive golden medallion.

"Is that…?"

"Yes, dearie. The one thing no one can escape – destiny. And, I promise, yours is particularly unpleasant."

Steam spiraled up from the contact as a long, slow hiss turned Regina's stomach. She pulled her hand to herself as soon as Rumple released it.

As Gold saw himself out Regina took a couple steps backwards and slowly resumed her seat on the cot, staring at her palm.

* * *

><p><p>

"Hey, Regina. Sorry it took so long to get back here."

Regina smiled as she approached the bars, gesturing to the clock on the wall behind Emma. "It's only been an hour."

Emma looked to the clock with surprise. "Huh. Seemed like longer. Storybrooke's kinda in chaos. It's been a busy hour."

Regina's dejected, sorry expression wasn't lost on Emma.

"Hey, it's okay! I mean, okay, maybe curing people isn't _completely_ okay. And I can't exactly say it's not your fault but…"

"You're really helping here, blondie."

Emma sighed. "It's okay with me, okay? I mean I'm still reconciling the fact that you're the Evil Queen, and my roommate is Snow White and her boyfriend is Prince Charming, and they're actually my parents, and if you were my mom's stepmother that would mean I'm in love with my step-grandmother… But I'm not going to leave you because of any of it, and I'm going to help get things settled down in Storybrooke, and I'm going to make sure no harm comes to you or to Henry. Okay?"

Regina's eyes sparkled with unshed tears and the hint of a smile. "Love?"

"I… What?" Emma was caught off guard.

"You said you were in love with me."

"Well, yeah. I figured that was kinda obvious, what with true love's kiss breaking the curse and all." Emma was looking at her boots in embarrassment, but smiled sheepishly.

Regina reached through the bars to lift Emma's chin. "I love you too."

Emma's smile shut down when she heard the front door of the Sheriff's office clang open. Hurt flashed across Regina's expression as Emma leapt away from the bars.

Regina stared into unfamiliar, cold eyes as Emma snarled "And I know there's magic here now, but don't try anything. The Blue Fairy said that magic is different here, so I'm going to trust that you won't be able to bust out or anything. But know that if you do, I _will_ find you."

Mary Margaret nodded as she entered. "We're going to post a guard here anyway. Not necessarily to keep you in, but we don't want any unscrupulous visitors, right? Granny should be here with her crossbow in a few minutes."

Snow turned to Emma. "I wondered where you went. Come on, we need to talk to you about something."

Regina sat on her cot as she watched Emma leave without a backward glance, her mother's hand on her arm. She lay down on the cot and tried to find a comfortable way to wait out the rest of the day and, likely, the night.

After a few sleepless minutes she shot up, clutching her hand. Seared clearly into her hand was the stamp of the medallion.

* * *

><p><p>

Emma dutifully followed Snow to Granny's, where they met Charming. Emma checked in on Henry, whom Ruby had been keeping an eye on while running the diner, and ordered a hot chocolate before sitting down in a booth with her parents. Her heart beat in her chest as she hoped that that they wanted to talk about wasn't how exactly se had broken the curse.

"We need to talk," Snow started.

"I… Well, I don't… I just… I don't want to talk" Emma stammered as she looked around to see if Ruby was bringing her hot chocolate.

"Well, I do, okay. Your hot chocolate can wait." She waited until Emma's attention was back on her. "I can't. I mean, you're my daughter, and… I want to talk to you. I know that we have talked. But, we didn't know that we were talking. And we talked about things we probably shouldn't even have talked about – one night stands and the like."

Emma breathed a sigh of relief. "That's what this is about?"

She was drowned out, however, by David. "One night stands?"

"Whale."

"Whale?!"

"We were cursed!" Mary Margaret took a deep breath. "That is neither here, no there. The point is, we did not know that we were mother and daughter and, now, we do. And, so… Please, let's talk."

"Okay," Emma nodded, more forthcoming now that she knew she wasn't about to have to come out in possibly the most awkward way ever. "What do you want to talk about?" Emma was a bit miffed that David seemed not to be paying attention now that the conversation had moved on from one night stands, as he was checking his phone.

Snow was direct. "We're together – finally. And I can't help but think you're not happy about it."

"Oh, I am. But, see… Here's the thing – no matter what the circumstances, for twenty-eight years I only knew one thing. That my parents sent me away."

Snow's expression was saddened. "We did that to give you your best chance."

"You did it for everyone, because that's who you are," Emma's voice was understanding, but sad. "Leaders, heroes, princes, and princesses, and that's great. A-And amazing. And wonderful. But it doesn't change the fact that, for my entire life, I've been alone."

"But, if we hadn't sent you away, you would've been cursed, too."

"But we would've been together. Which curse is worse? Come on. Let's just… Is that Gold?" Emma's focus was ripped away from the conversation as the bell over the door clanged.

Gold made his way over to their table as Belle entered behind him and took a seat at the adjacent booth. "That it is," he affirmed as he stood at the end of their table. "What can I do for you?"

"What you can do, is tell us what you did" David said with conviction as he slid his phone back into his pocket.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific."

"I just got a text from Granny saying that Regina just woke up screaming. What did you do?"

"What?! Is she okay?" Emma exclaimed as Mary Margaret quietly asked "Granny knows how to text?"

Gold smiled as a loud explosion rocked the building.

"What the hell was that?" Emma's expression was panicked as she rushed to the window to find that all the transformers outside were blowing.

As Snow and Charming came up behind Emma, Gold called out "That is my gift to you. That," he gestured to a strange form that blew past "is going to take care of Regina."

Emma started to lunge at him, but was caught by her parents.

"Emma, come on." Snow opened the door to the diner and ushered Emma through.

"We need to go take care of this," David added.

"We're not done!" Emma called as she left.

"Oh, I know," Gold replied to her retreating form. "You still owe me a favor."

He took his seat opposite Belle in her booth. "Hey."

Her expression was hard. "You lied to me."

"No, I kept my word. _I _will not kill her," he explained.

She shook her head in disgust. "No. You toy with words like you do people. You're still a man who makes wrong choices. I thought you'd changed."

"What, in the hour you've know me?" The words were out before he could stop them, and he immediately regretted them. His expression softened as Belle stood. "Belle, I… I'm sorry. Belle, I'm sorry. I am."

She ignored him as she walked over to the counter.

Ruby walked over with a smile as Belle sat down. "What can I get you? Besides some skin cream for your boyfriend, I mean."

Belle smiled. "How about some tea?"

* * *

><p><p>

Regina leapt out of her cot, startled, when the power to the Sheriff's station was abruptly cut.

"Hello? Who's there?" Her voice shook. She found herself hoping it was a lightning strike or even a murderous mob, anything but what she knew it would be.

Her fears were confirmed when a grey, hooded figure swooped in. As it entered its emaciated form somehow seemed to fill the entire room. The window panes glittered with frost as the sheriff's office was overtaken with a gloomy aura, and the shadow cast by the floating figure filled Regina with dread and despair. She choked back a frightened sob as the door to her cell was ripped off its hinges.

There was nothing she could do but stand there as the figure approached her and began to extract her soul. She could feel herself leaving her body and being sucked into the black hole of the creature's maw. Every terrible moment of her life flashed through her head, filling her with anguish. The death of Daniel melded with her wedding to the King melded with those terrible nights where the King wished for company in his bedchambers melded with the pain of losing any hope she'd had to resuscitate her love melded with killing her father and burying her mother and discovering that Storybrooke wasn't exactly the happy ending she'd dreamed and Henry screaming that he'd found his real mother and the lonely nights with just her thoughts and a razor and the look on Emma's face the last time she'd seen her until she found herself wishing for the absolute nothingness that the belly of the creature promised to bring.

"Hey!" The voice barely registers with Regina as she stands with open arms, welcoming the freeing of her soul from her body.

She feels a disturbance in the flow of energy when David hits the creature with a chair, and then the soul transfer slows to a trickle as the creature focuses its energy on whipping furniture around the room.

"Over here!" Regina feels her soul snap abruptly back into her body as she creature is banished through the window by an impromptu flamethrower from Snow.

Regina briefly allowed herself to collapse into Emma's supportive arms as she panted.

"What the hell was that thing?" Emma's expression was almost comically flabbergasted as she tried to wrap her head around what had just happened.

"A wraith," Regina managed between gulps of air. "A soul sucker."

"Did I…" Mary Margaret ventured a question and was interrupted by Regina.

"Kill it? No. It's regenerating. It'll be back. It doesn't stop until it devours its prey." Emma didn't miss the dejected, hopeless look in Regina's eyes. "Me."

Emma was resolute, determined to save her love. "So how do we kill it?"

"There's no way." Regina shook her head. "Can't kill something that's already dead."

Emma paled. "Then we have a problem."

"No, we don't." David spoke up. "Regina does."

"What?" Emma was astonished. "We can't just let her die!"

"Why not?" he reasoned. "Then it goes away and then, we're safe."

"That's quite the example you're setting for your daughter, there," Regina muttered.

Charming pointed a finger of righteous indignation. "No, you don't get to judge us."

"Let me ask you something," Regina challenged. "Where do you think that thing came from?"

"Gold," Emma answered, receiving a nod from Regina. "Look, I made a promise to Henry. She's not dying."

Mary Margaret stood with a hand on her hip, ever the voice of reason. "All of this is moot if we can't kill it. What do you suggest?"

Regina was now standing independently of Emma, dusting off her leather pants and smoothing her jacket. "We send it somewhere it can't hurt anyone."

* * *

><p><p>

"Come on. It can't hurt to have one more layer of insurance, just in case."

"Yes, it _can_ hurt. I will not risk your safety."

Emma and Regina stood in Regina's office as she sought out the portal that would grant them entrance to the other realm.

Emma pleaded with Regina. "Come on. We have magic and we might as well use it to our advantage. If I'm you and you're me, the dementor won't know whose soul to suck, even if we can't get it through the portal."

"Emma, the way the wraith finds its victims is this mark." She held up her hand, causing Emma to wince and lightly trail a fingertip over the seared flesh. "Even if we switched places, this mark would still be on my form. Your soul would be sucked. I cannot risk that."

"Wait, so what if we just cut off your hand?" Emma chuckled as Regina clutched her hand. "Kidding! I was just kidding."

Regina gave Emma a glare as she turned her back to pull the magical hat out of the hat box. "Anyway, neither foolish plan will be necessary. This is our ticket. We'll just send the wraith into oblivion, into a land that no longer exists."

Emma grasped Regina's wrist, suddenly serious. "Okay, yes, this might work. But_ I_ can't risk that it won't. I made a promise to Henry to protect you back at the hospital, and I intend to keep it."

Regina's eyes widened as they were suddenly enveloped in a cloud of lavender magic. She stared into Emma's eyes until the cloud obscured them, and then to her surprise as the cloud dissipated she found herself staring into her own dark brown eyes.

"Emma, I…!" Her exclamation was cut short by a finger on her lips.

"Uh-uh. I'm Regina. _You're_ Emma."

She spun around to inspect herself in the mirror and was astonished to see, not herself, but long blonde hair and startled blue eyes looking back at her. She was about to switch them back when Snow and Charming walked in.

Snow was a bit bemused by the irritated, huffy look on Emma*'s face. Even more so, she was perplexed by the way Regina*'s hands slowly slid down her figure as her eyes snapped up from where she appeared to have been eyeing her own bust. Regina* blushed as she noticed Snow's gaze and quickly turned to grab the hat.

David held up the brooms he clutched. "Torches. For when it comes back. I know it's old fashioned, but so am I." He gave Emma an odd look when she rolled her eyes.

"So," Mary Margaret gestured to the hat. "How does it work?"

Regina* placed the hat on her head with a goofy grin as they walked to the conference room, only to have it taken off by an irked Emma*.

"It will open a portal to our, I mean, your land. All we have to do is send the wraith in there." Emma* explained.

"I don't understand, I thought our land was gone?"

Emma* nodded. "It is. But, sending it to a place that no longer exists… Well, that's banishing it to oblivion." As David inspected her curiously she realized that they had expected Regina, well the person who looked like Regina, to answer. "…as Regina explained to me. You know, just now," she covered lamely.

Mary Margaret and David set about preparing their fiery defense as Emma* hovered near Regina* while she set the hat on the ground and kneeled next to it.

"Just spin it, and the portal should open," Regina advised Emma as she pulled her curls back over her shoulder in an attempt to get them out of the way. "How did you know how to do this, anyway? Make you me and I you?"

Emma shrugged as she tried to adjust her corset. "I don't know. How did I know how to heal scars or make pancakes? I don't know how I knew, I just knew. You know?" She shook her head as she looked into the hat. "Why don't_ you_ do this?"

"They're expecting Regina to do it, and you insisted on being Regina. So suck it up."

At that moment the lights flickered, signaling the approach of the wraith. David and Mary Margaret lit their torches in preparation.

"Emma," Regina urged.

Regina* spun the hat, but it only turned once before stopping, failing to open the portal. "I'm trying."

The doors burst open and the wraith came through, filling the room with a chill and making the torches splutter. David charged the wraith, waving the fiery broom at it while Mary Margaret poured alcohol on the rails.

"Emma," Regina's voice rose in pitch.

"I know!" Emma was frantically trying to open the portal, to no avail.

"David!" Mary Margaret called. He jumped behind the rails and quickly set them on fire in hopes of keeping the wraith at bay.

"Hurry!" he called.

"It's not working!" Regina* looked desperately up to Emma*. "What's the problem?"

"Magic. It's different here," Emma* replied.

"Now would be the time!" David yelled.

Emma* grabbed Regina*'s shoulder in a comforting gesture. With a jolt Emma could feel magic flow into her through the touch and channeled it into the hat. It began to spin autonomously and the purple vortex opened in the middle of it.

"It's coming!"

The wraith charged for Regina*, who was standing in front of the portal in an attempt to execute a side-step at the last moment and send the wraith hurdling into oblivion. Regina watched as the wraith came nearer and nearer Emma, who showed no sign of moving. She decided in a split second that if Emma was going to try to be heroic by taking on her form and her mark then she could do something heroic too, and sprang into action.

Mary Margaret watched as Emma* pushed Regina* out of the path of the wraith. Her jaw dropped in horror as the wraith fell past her into the vortex, but managed to grab Emma*'s ankle and pull her with it. "No!" she called. "I'm not losing her again!"

With that she took a running leap into the unknown.

"Neither am I!" David called, launching himself after them. However, the portal closed as he was mid-flight and he came crashing down on the marble floor, crushing the hat. He frantically swiped at the floor until he realized he was on top of the hat.

Regina* was livid. "You fucking idiot!"

David returned the favor, stalking over to her angrily. "Where are they?" he shouted.

"I have no idea!"

"Are they dead?"

"The curse – she said it destroyed all the lands."

"Are they dead?!"

"Hell if I know!"

Emma was startled by the pure hatred in her father's eyes. "I should've killed you myself."

"Well, then. What's stopping you?" Regina*'s voice was cold, angry, as she saw a whole other side to the man she had just been starting to get to know.

With a wave of her hand Regina* tossed David into the far wall. He stood up and began to charge her again, but with another wave of her hand he was magically pressed against the wall. He struggled against his invisible bomds to no avail as she stepped neared him, each step pushing him a few more inches up until he was suspended few feet off the ground.

"You think you're some heroic prince?" she snarled. "Please. You're nothing but a cheating animal shelter volunteer. I should've let you freeze when you were wandering about after waking up from your coma."

Henry and Ruby burst through the door, but stopped in their tracks when they witnessed what was going on.

Henry's voice was confused, plaintive. "Mom?"

Regina*'s head whipped around. "Kid, what are you doing here?"

Henry didn't answer. "What are you doing?"

"Wait, it's okay. It's not what it looks like."

Regina* flicked her wrist and David slumped to the ground. Ruby hurried to his side to help him up.

"W-Where's my mom and where's…" Henry's gaze swept the cavernous room.

"They're gone. They fell through a portal. They're… Henry, I'm sorry." Regina* stepped toward him, but he stepped back.

"No, you're not. You really are the Evil Queen. I don't want to see you again."

"No, wait, it's not what you think. I love you. I…" She tried to explain, but Henry cut her off.

"Then, prove it. _Prove_ you love me. Get Emma and Mary Margaret back. And until then, leave me – leave everyone – alone."

"But kid, where will you go?"

David walked up to Henry and placed a hand on his shoulder. "With me."

Emma watched dejectedly as her father, her son, and her friend walked out without a backwards glance. She threw a fireball at the wall in frustration, and as she watched it smolder she began to understand some aspects of her girlfriend a little more.

* * *

><p><p>

Note: Regina*= Emma. Emma*=Regina.

This chapter follows Broken, obviously. I didn't rewrite what happens in FTL in this chapter because for this episode the show's canon and this fic's canon are one and the same. Therefore, assume that Mulan met Aurora and Phillip was soul-sucked, as this will come into play in the next chapter.


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